Empire of the Sun
by Katreju
Summary: AU. Amid a time of imminent insurgence, two souls are woven together through tragedy and a journey that will forever change the course of their lives and that of a nation.
1. Chapter One

_During the olden days, the Land of Gods had been plagued with political strife and continuous warfare. Although Heaven had decreed its people to be set apart from the world through the divine headship of the Emperor and his lineage, it had been the Shogun – the highest ranking general of the military - who had controlled and administered his will upon the land. In hopes of bringing about unity and peace, the country had been divided into provinces that were to be governed by powerful lords called daimyo. The daimyo were to serve directly under the Shogun as an elite group of rulers who were responsible for maintaining their territories and upholding the cultural teachings and traditions of their ancestors. _

_However, because of the nature of the man, it did not take long for the daimyo to abuse and revel in their power. Their eyes became clouded with greed as their minds rebelled against the code of honor they were to uphold in exchange for pursuing their selfish desires. In time, they sought to annihilate each other in order to obtain more territory and expand their individual power and wealth. _

_As a result, corruption and war had once again spread across the land. Regimes were formed and many family lines were eliminated. Thousands of names were lost from the pages of history and countless of lives were left vulnerable or destroyed. People struggled daily to survive and find inner peace. But still, no matter how hardened people's hearts had become, everyone continued to hold a strong reverence and pride for their country, especially when foreigners from the European continent began arriving on their shores._

_Centuries later, the warfare of the daimyo came to an end by a general named Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who later became Shogun into the seventeenth century. Under his leadership and discipline, the country started paving its way back toward unification with the reconstruction of the administration and social classes, redistribution of the land, and stronger regulation on foreign trade and affairs._

_Many were pleased with the changes and regained hope that one day the Land of Gods will become the nation that Heaven decreed it to be in the world. However, there were some who did not share the same opinions and had desired a different path away from the emerging ideals of the new era. _

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><p><span><strong>Empire of the Sun<strong>

**Chapter One**

**By: Katreju**

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><p><strong>The Month of Satsuki, 1619<strong>

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><p>"Brother, please! Please don't leave me!"<p>

Lady Orihime Inoue cried heavily as her quivering arms held onto the body of Lord Sora Inoue, the once great daimyo of the Tenkū province. She sat alone in the middle of his master chamber, wailing out desperate prayers to the heavens as tears rolled down her ruddy, smooth cheeks and onto Lord Inoue's dull, sunken face.

It was hard to believe that a few hours ago his complexion had been the same as hers. That his warm smile and jovial spirit had illuminated the world around them as they celebrated yozakura with several of their clan members and neighboring villagers. Now he laid cold and lifeless in her lap with his intestines gutted like a fish and a ghost of a smile sketched across his lips. Orihime embraced him tighter, not caring that she was soiling her beautiful jūnihitoe with his crimson blood.

_Please God…don't take him from me…please…._

Outside the master chamber, pandemonium took siege over the entire town. Ear-piercing screams and desperate pleas carried into the night as people were being slain in the street, imprisoned within their homes or fled away from the town to insure their survival. On the castle-grounds, the clashing of swords along with the fierce cries of the last remaining samurai fighting valiantly for Lord Inoue's honor echoed through the walls, but were becoming fainter as they were struck down by the enemy's hand.

With what little hope she had left in her heart, Orihime prayed to the gods to grant them favor for triumph over their invaders. However, when she heard the announcement that Gorō Ito - Lord Inoue's strongest and most loyal general - and his soldiers had been killed, she realized that her prayer would not be answered and hung her head low in despair.

A loud cheer erupted in the courtyard which signaled for the army to begin their infiltration of the castle. The invaders entered and searched each room that crossed their path. They destroyed everything that was deemed worthless in their eyes and boasted over the treasures they had plundered while laughing and mocking over Lord Inoue and his clan.

Disgusted by the haughtiness and disrespect of her heritage, Orihime felt a fresh wave of tears threatening to spring from her eyes as her enemies continued trampling over the shattered pieces of her soul.

All of the sudden, she heard the shoji door of the shrine room fly open. Her body stiffened and her heart quickened as she waited for the one who discovered her to strike her down.

"What are you doing here?" asked a deep, callous voice.

Orihime slowly raised her head and took in the horned figure of the Samurai before her until her warm, honey-brown eyes locked in with his icy, emerald-green ones.

"Do you understand Japanese?" he asked.

"Y-yes…" she responded.

"Then I will repeat myself only once. What are you doing here, woman?"

Orihime glanced over at the left side of his waist and saw her brother's swords and a scroll attached to his daishō. She looked away from him and her eyes filled with grief again at the sight of the fallen lord across her lap.

"That…is the question I should be asking you, Samurai. Haven't you already accomplished what your master set you out to do?" she asked.

"It would seem that I have not," he replied coldly. "I have been ordered to kill every male relative who upheld the seal of the Inoue clan and anyone, including servants, who continue to pledge loyalty to your lord."

She immediately stared at him with a solemn face. "He was not only my lord. He was my brother."

Despite his stoic front, Orihime noticed his eyes had widened slightly from her confession. Although it was a different, more subtle response compared to what she had received in the past, she could not help but feel a little offended by his skepticism.

"Prove your relation," he commanded.

"I have nothing I can offer you except my word."

His eyes began searching her until he noticed two blue hibiscus-shaped hairpins clipped on the left collar of her robe. "The ornaments on your collar resemble the crest of the Inoue clan."

She nodded. "Yes. They were made and given to me on my twelfth birthday."

"Hand them to me."

Her fingers instinctively touched the hairpins. "Will I get them back?"

"I have no need or interest to keep such things."

Orihime gently laid her brother's body on the matted floor before she stood up and gradually walked over to the Samurai. When she was within arm's reach of him, she took the hairpins off her collar and placed them into his hand. As he inspected them, she was able to get a closer look at his face and was immediately drawn to the two faded but rugged scars descending from both his eyes, making him appear as though he were crying. She thought it to be ironic considering his demeanor did not encourage her in the least to believe that this man ever cried a day in his life.

After he was done with his inspection, the Samurai closed his hand around the hairpins and pierced his eyes into hers once again. He decided the accessories would be enough evidence to identify this woman if she was who she claimed to be. "I am to presume you are Lady Orihime Inoue of Tenkū."

"I am."

"Then you will come with me."

Her eyes widened considerably. "W-What? Why?"

"You have eluded death tonight. Whether it was the work of some god or a miscalculation on my part, your survival could be of great purpose."

She shook her head and stepped back. "No."

"This is not up for negotiation, woman."

"No…I'm not going with you!"

Just as Orihime was about to make her escape, the Samurai snatched one of her arms and pulled her toward him. Tears welling in her eyes, she struggled to free herself from his grip as he dragged her out of the room and down the hallway.

"Don't do this, please!" she yelled. "I rather die here than go to the house responsible for the murder of my brother!"

The Samurai retained a straight-face. "You are behaving like a child."

"I don't care how you think I'm behaving! It's wrong for you to do this! Stop dragging me now!"

Without warning, the Samurai picked up the young girl and carried her over his shoulder as he walked down the castle steps and into the town. Orihime whined as she wriggled to get loose, but her captor kept a firm hold on her. It was not long before she became weary and gave up after she had no more strength left to fight.

Once they had passed through the town's main gate, Orihime looked over her shoulder and saw a pink-haired, spectacled samurai saddled on a brown horse. He was among a faction of soldiers that carried not only spears and bows but a few firearms as well.

"There you are, Commander," the man grinned as he led a black horse toward them. "I was beginning to think you got lost. However, it appears that you have found treasure among the debris."

The Samurai mounted Orihime then himself on top of the black horse. "She is the younger sister of Lord Sora Inoue."

"Is that so?" he said with a coy smile. He turned his amber eyes on Orihime. "She's quite a beautiful creature. I'm certain that our lord will be _very_ grateful to you. He might even frequently indulge himself with this _luscious_ treat."

Orihime nervously shifted in her seat. She was uncomfortable under the gaze of this man along with others who took the opportunity to peer at her as well. What had her even more unease was the insinuation he made. It left nothing to the imagination and she started to worry what would become of her once she arrived in their territory.

"I have already stationed a hundred ashigaru to guard against trespassers and to secure the town," the Samurai stated as he took ahold of the reins. "Be certain that every head of the Inoue bloodline is collected and sent to my tent for inspection. And make certain that the body of Lord Sora Inoue is kept intact and brought to me as well."

"You're keeping me out of the fun, Commander," the pink-haired samurai let out a chuckle. "It's such a pity that I won't be able to observe the trophies with you. However, you can be certain that I will carry out your order with the utmost pleasure!"

An explosion suddenly echoed through the area, causing everyone to look back at the castle and see smoke rising from the east wing.

"Delayed response, yes…but it appears that my new little invention works!" the pink-haired samurai laughed fanatically. "I can't wait to tell our lord about my discovery!"

Sitting helplessly and watching her home be consumed by flames, Orihime felt the world spinning around her until she collapsed into the arms of the stoic Samurai that held her captive.

. . .

Sunbeams had seeped through the window and filled the room with golden radiance.

Orihime awoke to the sound of chirping birds then turned her head over on the pillow to see her hairpins lying next to her.

_That's funny. I always leave these on my dresser __every night__ before I go to bed_.

She looked at the dresser set in the corner of the room yet noticed it had a different design from hers and displayed a sword stand on the surface. Her eyes narrowing out of suspicion, she sat up from the futon and began looking around the room. She then started to worry about her whereabouts when she could not trace any of her possessions, furnishings and décor. All she found was a wall scroll displaying military achievements and honors alongside a cabinet showcasing several books and pamphlets written in a foreign language and Japanese.

In that moment, she came to the realization that she was in someone else's room. A _man's_ room.

Her heart pounding frantically, Orihime hastily threw the blanket off of her legs and inspected the sheets. When she could not find any bloodstains, she sighed out of relief knowing that she had not been defiled. She then noticed the simple white kosode she wore and hoped that whoever had changed her out of her robes had not dispose them since they had been custom-made for her as a gift from...

**Please…live for me…Orihime…**

Images depicting Lord Inoue's mutilated body and the violent siege of Tenkū began to surge through her mind. She trembled and whimpered as the scenes and sounds of that night replayed over and over until finally her fingers gripped the sheets and tears flowed freely down her face.

Her beloved brother was dead.

She would never see his smile, hear his laugh or be in his presence ever again.

It did not make any sense! He had been a generous and noble man. A strong leader with many aspirations and desired the best for his country. And yet fate had rewarded him with an untimely death along with the ruin of his homeland and the people whom he led and loved as family. His legacy would not pass through the generations and it grieved her that she could not even give him and those who died for his sake their funeral rites since she was being held prisoner somewhere likely far from her home.

She abruptly fell forward and buried her face in the blanket, her copper-red hair cascading around her like a curtain. The faces of the invaders flashed across her mind, causing her fingers to clench tightly around the blanket.

_I can never forgive them for what they've done. There is no reason for me to even try._

She heard a knock on the door and lightly raised her head from the futon.

"I am coming in," said a flat, taciturn voice that was oddly familiar to her.

"Wait, please." She sat up then used her arm to wipe away her tears. "Come in."

The door slid open revealing the man responsible for taking her hostage. Not dressed in armor, his jet-black hair was tied back into a low ponytail reaching just beneath his shoulder blades and his civilian attire consisted of a dark-green kimono with black hakama, tabi and fingerless gloves that covered his forearms. Since she was able to get a better depiction of him, Orihime realized that he was much thinner and shorter compared to the image of the man she thought to have been a demon.

The Samurai kept his eyes on her as he walked into the room and stopped at the foot of the futon. "You have finally awakened."

Orihime's eyes slightly widened. "'Finally awaken?' How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days."

"Oh." She paused. "May I ask where I am?"

"You are in my private residence outside of the castle."

Frowning, Orihime kept her silence and sadly looked toward the window.

"Now that you are no longer comatose, you will make yourself presentable for your audience this morning."

She waited a moment before returning her eyes back on him. "I will need my robes."

"Your garments are with a seamstress and will be returned to you once they are cleaned and mended. For now, you will wear what has been set aside for you."

Looking down, Orihime discovered a neatly-folded parcel and a small accessory bag next to the futon. She gently picked up the bundle and rubbed her thumb over the smooth material.

"A bath has already been prepared for you. Do not take long. I will be waiting for you outside."

The Samurai proceeded to leave the room. After he slid the door behind him, Orihime stood up from the futon and made her way across the room toward the bathing chamber. Once she was inside, she exhaled quietly before shutting the connector door and prepare for her bath.

. . .

An hour had passed before Orihime stepped out into the corridor. She presented herself in a brown komon patterned with tiny dots and flowers, a beige obi around her waist, and white tabi on her feet. Her hair was styled back into a neat bun that allowed for her bangs to frame her face with the help of her hairpins.

The Samurai, now wearing his daishōaround his waist and a haorithe same color as his kimono, still remained leaning against the wall but said nothing to her.

"I'm ready," she murmured.

The Samurai straightened his posture and began walking down the hall. Orihime sighed and followed behind him. A thick silence lingered between them as the two walked out of the house through the front gate and made their way down the road.

. . .

When they arrived in the outer courts of the castle, Orihime was amazed to see the magnitude of servants working on the grounds. What astounded her even more was that she noticed most of them were not Japanese. Not that the foreigners' presence ever bothered her, but from what she had learned about the Shogunate and the daimyos' opinion of the western nations, she was curious to know why a staunch nationalist would permit them to live and serve in his domain.

After stepping through the gate leading into the inner courts, she could not stop herself from admiring the peaceful and beautiful ambiance around her. There were many small houses, gardens and architecture to behold across the landscape, all clearly showing the lord's wealth and extravagant taste.

From a distance, she then spotted a group of courtesans sitting next to a lake. Most of the women were practicing their calligraphy while two of them played soft music through a shamisen and shakuhachi.

As the two of them made their way pass the courtesans, Orihime sensed the women staring at her and heard them start to chatter amongst themselves. Feeling a little unease, she slightly quickened her steps and focused on her escort as he continued leading their path.

It was not long before they were walking in the halls of the main estate. As they drew nearer to the audience chamber, a grinning silver-haired man wearing a gray haori and kimono unexpectedly stepped forward and blocked their way.

"Ah, it's great to see you again so soon, General. Just so you know, I have never doubted your ability to follow an order through considerin' your meticulous nature and good-standing." He then took a step closer to Orihime. "And this must be the little sister of the fallen daimyo of Tenkū. My, are ya a lovely flower. But I can see that the rumors are indeed true of ya not resemblin' your brother or father. Care to explain that for me, girl?"

Orihime looked away to prevent herself from glaring at the foxlike man. "I do not wish to talk about that with you."

His wily grin widened. "Seems like I angered the little princess, eh General?"

The Samurai responded to him with a piercing stare. "You should be more concerned about my temperament, Ichimaru. You are wasting valuable time here."

"Fine, fine. Follow me."

The silver-haired man quietly led them around a corner and further down a wide corridor. When they finally reached the audience chamber, he gently tapped to make aware of their presence then slid the door open after receiving approval to enter.

He slightly leaned forward, retaining a grin. "After you two."

The Samurai slipped the zōri off his feet then proceeded into the chamber. However, Orihime was reluctant to follow his lead. Her blood went cold as her eyes looked upon the man sitting across the room in kneeled position. He was dressed in a beige kataginu with matching hakama and a brown kimono that was the same shade of his hair - which had been cropped unusually short with a long strand hanging between his eyes.

Sensing that she was stalling her entrance, the Samurai casted a cold eye at her. "Come."

Orihime shot him a look of her own before slipping the zōri off her feet and stepping into the chamber. Her hands clasped together in front of her, she stood next to her escort and waited for the lord to speak the first word.

As she waited, she noticed a dark-skinned man with braided dark-brown hair and a pale-gray bandanna covering his eyes standing in the right corner of the room. He was wearing a rustic-orange haori over a dark-purple kimono with hakama and had his left hand securely around his daishō. Despite his condition, he definitely seemed like a force to be reckoned with.

"Welcome to Naitsu Castle, Lady Orihime." The lord greeted. He bowed gracefully toward her then rose back up. "Please, come over and sit with me."

Caught off-guard by his greeting, Orihime walked forward and took a seat in front of him. She kept her eyes downward on her hands but she sensed that his were fixated on her.

"You are very beautiful." He reached forward to caress a few strands of her hair between his fingers, making her cringe inward from his touch. "Indeed a jewel above others. Tell me, how old are you, Lady Orihime?"

"I will be eighteen on the third day of Nagatsuki," she replied.

"You're still young yet your body deceives your youth." He released her hair and brought his hand down to his lap. "I'm certain by now that you are aware of who is responsible for the siege on Tenkū."

Orihime clenched her hands into fists. "Yes. I am."

"Then you are aware that the province is now under my jurisdiction. I hold of all of Inoue's land and assets in my hands. However, this power that I have obtained is not secure. The Shogunate and other daimyo have always held Inoue in the highest esteem and will be devastated to learn he is dead. It is possible that few of them will even search for the party accountable and apprehend them by their own means.

"In time, however, their anger will fade and the grief over your brother will be long forgotten. And such as what happens repeatedly through history, their focus will shift to satisfy their greed, to squabble over which of them rightfully deserves to inherit Tenkū since Inoue has no progeny or living male relative to be his successor." He lips lifted into a smirk. "And yet sitting before me is the key to preventing this scenario from happening once again."

"I don't understand." Orihime said with a puzzled look. "I have no rights to my name so how am I able to stop the Shogunate from taking my brother's land?"

The lord pulled out a scroll from his kimono and handed it to her.

Orihime studied the parchment and recognized it to be the same one that was attached to the Samurai's daishō during the siege. She quickly unrolled it and began reading. "This is my brother's will..." She carefully read through the print. By the time she was finished, her eyes had widened significantly and her mouth left opened from shock. "He named me as his heir! That means I'm…"

"Now do you see the power you wield? You are the governing ruler of Tenkū, Lady Orihime. You have the authority to regulate and defend the province from the Shogunate and men who will come to desire its land and wealth."

_Men like you, _she thought.

"With the knowledge and experience that I have, I offer my assistance to help you reform the land into greater prosperity and security," he assured. "This is especially needed if you desire to restore the honor and legacy of Lord Inoue and your clan."

Her heart twisted inside her chest. She wanted that more than anything, but what would be the price that she had to pay to obtain it? Despite her intuition telling her the answer, she spoke up with feigned interest. "What would have to be done?"

"The simplest solution to establish our merger would be marriage."

She frowned. _I knew it. _

"Having a legal binding between us will not only strengthen your military power, but prevent the Shogunate and the other daimyo from taking advantage of your grievous situation. It will also give you more credibility as a leader to have unlimited amount of resources at your disposal and give you free reign to make decisions that are in the best interest of Tenkū. Should the case that your authority is challenged, you will have my assistance on eliminating the issue and maintain peaceful relations with the administration."

Orihime remained still as she thought over his words.

"However, there are two matters that we must address before a decision can be made; the first being my marriage to Lady Yoshika."

"You're already married?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. Lady Yoshika is my second wife and comes from an affluent background much like your own. She is a beautiful, talented woman who has never wavered in her devotion to me. Nevertheless, in the last three years, she has been unable to carry a pregnancy to term and no offspring have been born to my name. This, along with other factors, has encouraged me to dissolve our marriage. Lady Yoshika, of course, will be distraught when she learns of my intent, but her removal is necessary for me to create a strong dynasty."

Orihime stared at him appalled over the lack of regard he had towards his wife.

"The second matter is that I am concerned about your heritage," he stated. "Your physical features and the rumors that have been circling since your birth cause me to speculate that you are not full-blooded Japanese."

Her eyes slightly narrowed as her fingers tightly clasped around the scroll.

"This would not be far-fetched to assume since your mother seemed to be infamous for having sexual liaisons outside of her marriage." His countenance darkened. "If that is true, then I am allowed to find other means of producing an heir. However, you will still be granted other privileges that come with being my wife, including spending time in my private chambers."

Orihime suppressed the bile coming up in her throat. She could not fathom kissing the man yet alone being intimate with him in _that_ manner. She felt the urge to gag and placed a hand over her mouth to conceal her disgust.

His lips curved into an amused smirk. "It seems that I have embarrassed you. Forgive me, Lady Orihime. It was inappropriate of me to talk about such things. But do tell me if these rumors are true. Be assured knowing that your answer does not negate my proposal."

Orihime softly bit on her lower lip. Uncomfortable as she was, she could not find a way out of this. Plus she was not a liar and refused to become one now. Resolved, she looked at him straight in the eye. "I'm-"

"Lowd Aizen!"

A light-blonde haired boy with freckles scattered across his cheeks and purple eyes interrupted the scene, causing everyone to immediately turn their attention on him. The Samurai, the foxlike attendant and the lord's guard sharply glared at the young intruder as he unapologetically ran into the room.

The guard took a few steps forward. "Wonderweiss, what have I told you before about entering unannounced?"

Wonderweiss dropped to the ground and bowed at him. "Sowee, Mastah, but this bad!"

"Your apology does not excuse what you have done."

"It's alright, Kaname," Lord Aizen said. "Speak, boy."

Wonderweiss sat up. "There fight with Gilga and Genrah Nel outside! Old Genrah tried stop them, but don't listen to him!"

After taking a few seconds to process the young boy's words, the lord rose to his feet. "Forgive me, Lady Orihime, but our conversation will have to wait until after I have settled this disturbance. Please make yourself comfortable and delight in any amenities I have. Ulquiorra will continue to be your guard and escort for the time being. Ask him for anything and he will grant you your request."

Orihime weakly nodded. "Thank you."

The three men followed the young boy out of the chamber, leaving her alone with the Samurai who waited for her command. She stayed seated for several more minutes before standing to her feet and turning around to face her reserved escort.

"Can you take me back to your estate?" she said, her face becoming downcast. "I'm…a little overwhelmed and need some time to think over everything. Perhaps maybe if I-"

"You do not have to explain yourself any further," he said sternly. "I do not want you to get the impression that I care about your opinion or feelings."

"Don't worry," she said, her eyes rising to the challenge. "I didn't expect for you to bring me any kind of joy or comfort. Even if I believed that you had a heart."

Their eyes briefly locked with each other before she quietly walked past him and headed toward the corridor.

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><p><span><strong>Glossary<strong>:

**Satsuki** – Old name for the month of May. Also known as the 'Month of Planting Rice Sprouts'.

**Tenkū **– Sky, Air.

**Yozakura **– Cherry Blossom Festival (Hanami) that is celebrated during night. Literal: 'Night Sakura'/'Night Cherry Blossom'.

**Jūnihitoe – **A twelve-layer kimono (robe) that was only worn by the court ladies of Japan. It was a very high class and complex outfit that depicted a woman's status and character by the arrangement of layers and the colors she wore. Contrary to popular belief, the style did exist during the Edo period and the standardized number of layers had dropped down to five instead of twelve.

**Daishō** – Matched set of a long sword and a short sword used by the Samurai class. Depending on the time period and the samurai's status or rank, combination examples are katana/wakizashi, katana/tantō, tachi/tantō or long uchigatana/short uchigatana. Literal: "Big-Small".

**Ashigaru** – Foot soldier(s).

**Kosode** – Short-sleeved robe that can be worn as an undergarment (or also as an outer garment for women). Literal: 'Small Sleeve'.

**Tabi** – Traditional Japanese socks.

**Komon** – Literal: "Fine pattern". A type of kimono designed with a repeated pattern on the fabric. The specific style that was described on Orihime is an 'Edo komon'.

**Zōri** – Flat, thonged sandals made of rice straw or other materials.

**Kataginu** – Sleeveless, winged jacket with stiffened shoulders. Combined with hakama, the complete outfit is called _kamishimo_.

**Nagatsuki** – Old name for the month of September. Also known as the 'Month of (Autumn's) Long Nights'.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not make any profit from writing this story. I'm simply borrowing Tite Kubo's characters for my sheer enjoyment. Also, most of the historical context has been researched and taken from various books and the internet. That being said, certain artistic liberties may still apply when seen fit for the story.


	2. Chapter Two

**Empire of the Sun**

**By: Katreju**

**Chapter Two**

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><p>Ulquiorra Cifer, General of Lord Sōsuke Aizen of Naitsu, walked through the narrow alleys of the samurai district with one hand embedded in his pocket and the other carrying a pouch he had just replenished with supplies and a new medicinal kit.<p>

He went over his mental checklist to be certain he did not forget any tasks while he was in town, but his train of thought was soon interrupted by a shrill voice calling out to him. His feet halted and slowly he turned around with a straight face to confront the banshee, even though he had already recognized who it was.

A voluptuous woman with long, light-green hair and a discolored scar that stretched from her forehead to the bridge of her nose quickly strolled over to where he stood. Once she was close to him, she displayed a cheerful, toothy smile. "It's been some time since we've last seen each other!"

His face remained akin to that of a stone. "General Odelschwanck."

She let out a laugh. "I'm happy to see you too! Where are you heading right now?"

"To my house."

"Great! I'll join you! I need to walk off some steam anyway!"

Ulquiorra was about to object her self-imposed invitation, but decided that his time and energy would be better spent walking than arguing with a tenacious person like Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. He remained silent and proceeded down the alley with her following closely behind.

"You know, Japanese women have my respect for being able to wear these every day," Nelliel mused out loud as her fingers tugged on her crimson obi and the neck-collar of her off-white kimono. "They're beautiful and become somewhat comfortable over time. But, I much prefer wearing what you have on for casual clothing."

"If that's how you feel, why have you changed your standard?" Ulquiorra said.

"It's not that I _changed_ my standard," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest and her eyes narrowing. "All of the hakama and haori I owned were ripped to shreds a week ago by that fool Nnoitra. He also scattered the remains around my house and left a note saying that 'a woman's place is not on the battlefield' and 'that I should get over myself since I won't be in leadership for very long'."

"And that is the reason why you fought with him earlier?"

She looked at him with surprise. "Word gets around fast, doesn't it?"

"If you want to be discreet, do not engage in public fights."

"Good point!" she chuckled heartily. "Well, to answer your question, _that_ was not my reason for fighting. I was supervising over Pesche and Dondochakka training the younger soldiers in our regiment until Nnoitra and his followers showed up. He wanted to take charge of the session and his group started bullying the trainees. Before I could take control of the situation, Pesche and Dondochakka stepped in and tried to reason with him. The turning point was when Nnoitra had unsheathed his sword and advanced on them, but I had managed to intervene and block him.

"It was such a dirty move since neither of them had their weapons on hand and it was quite obvious that the fool had malicious intentions. Because of that alone, he had invoked my anger. At some point, one of the soldiers brought General Louisenbairn onto the scene to quiet us down. That didn't work, of course, but when Lord Aizen arrived, well, we had no choice but to put down our swords. Lord Aizen was displeased with everyone, yet very much so with me."

"That is to be expected," Ulquiorra stated. "As a samurai of higher rank, you should have handled the situation differently and not have allowed your emotions take over."

"You're right! But to be honest with you," her voice becoming serious, "I would do it all over again if it meant protecting Pesche and Dondochakka. They may be my subordinates, but they're also my family and I will never allow anyone to hurt them."

"Then you have chosen to ruin your integrity for your idealism."

Nelliel laughed. "I should've expected that sort of answer from you, Cifer-dono! You don't understand my feelings because there is no one you'll fight for."

Ulquiorra stared at her with contempt. "My sword and abilities are used to defend and serve Lord Aizen."

Nelliel smiled at him. "Yes, but I already took that into consideration. What I meant was that fighting for someone out of respect is vastly different than fighting for someone out of love. Not to say that our loyalty to Lord Aizen isn't commendable, but it doesn't have the same fulfillment as fighting for the people you care about."

Ulquiorra blankly stared ahead as they crossed over a red wooden bridge into the district he lived in. "Then you are correct. There is no person in this world that encourages such a desire in me."

"Well at least Lord Aizen won't penalize you for it," she said, her voice dropping a pitch. "Thanks to today's little incident, my two weeks of leave have been forfeited. I'm being sent out to do reconnaissance in the south. Since Pesche and Dondochakka are unable to come with me, I have to form a new team for the mission. I'd ask you to accompany me but I heard you're still on bodyguard duty, am I right?"

"Unfortunately," he replied monotonously.

Nelliel brought a finger up to her lips and looked as if she was in deep thought. "Hm…it's an easy enough assignment so I wonder why he chose you instead of someone lower ranked to do it. Then again, your dry and cold personality on top of being asexual does make you suited for the job."

"General-"

"I heard she is very lovely!" Nelliel quickly interrupted him. "The soldiers haven't stopped talking about her since you brought her here. I think most of the women are already staking their claims to make sure she doesn't enchant them with her looks."

"All this concern over a child."

"Eh? How old is she?"

"Seventeen."

Nelliel looked at him in disbelief. "That's hardly the age of a child."

"Her defiance and immaturity speak otherwise."

Nelliel sighed and waited before speaking again. "This may be hard for you to do, but you should lighten up on her. She just lost her family, her home and the life she knew. It's quite understandable that she is not going to be exactly cordial or agreeable with any of us for a while…if ever. So in the meantime, you should…well, do your best not to be so rigid and unsociable."

"Are you finished?"

"I have one more thing to say then I'm done!" she said merrily. "In regards to what I said, she might warm up to you and that could make having her around more…_tolerable_ for you."

Ulquiorra kept his eyes focused on the road ahead. "Our time together is temporary. Whatever happens during her stay will become irrelevant once she is no longer under my supervision."

. . .

Lady Orihime Inoue sat leaning against the door frame that connected the General's room to the outdoor hallway. She had remained in a trance-like state for the past few hours, staring at the Japanese-style garden that extended across the back of the house. The lush greenery covering the yard along with the intricate arrangement of stone lanterns and trails next to a quiet pond filled with koi and stepping-stones provided a calm environment for one to seek solace and peace.

Nevertheless, pain and confusion continued to ensnare her mind in what felt like a never-ending spiral.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the soothing, sweet aroma of citrus and cedar lingering in the air until she heard the door from the other side of the room slide open. She slowly looked behind her and saw a beautiful, fair-skinned woman with wavy, black hair loosely tied from her face and wearing a wine-red kimono adorned with a black obi.

Not noticing the young girl's presence until after entering the room, the woman's amber eyes raised slightly and she let out a soft chuckle. "Oh! Pardon me, my lady." She sat down on her knees and bowed. "I thought you had gone out with the Master."

Her voice was mellow yet soothing to hear.

"It's alright," Orihime responded gently. "Do what you have to do, Miss, um…"

Rising up, the woman gave her an endearing smile. "I'm Hisae. Please let me know if you need anything to make your stay here more comfortable."

"Thank you," Orihime frowned, "but I don't think I'll ever be comfortable here."

Hisae's smile faded as she looked at the girl with sympathy. "I can understand what you must be feeling. All the sadness, anger and pain you carry…but I honestly can say to you that after some time has passed and once your wounds have begun to heal, you might find yourself surprised and adapt to the road that is paved for you."

Orihime let a strained sound escape her lips. "Even if I commit myself to a man who had destroyed everything that I hold dear, especially the people that I loved?"

Hisae waited before speaking again. "It will not be easy. It will certainly be frustrating and painful at times. But as one woman who has suffered greatly to another, I can assure you that I found peace again and I know you will as well, my lady." She reassured her with a smile before standing to her feet. "I'll leave now to give you some privacy. But if you like, I can bring you a pot of tea and something to eat."

A faint smile made its way across Orihime's face. "I'm fine at the moment, but thank you."

Hisae nodded then proceeded out the room. When Orihime could no longer hear her steps, she rose to her feet and walked over to where the folded futon was stored. She kneeled down and picked up Lord Inoue's will from where she had left it after returning from her meeting with Lord Aizen.

_Now do you realize the power you wield? You are the governing ruler of Tenkū, Lady Orihime._

The memory of those words made her fingers tighten around the scroll. Tenkū, the land and the people her brother had selflessly devoted his life to, was now her responsibility. She had been repeatedly asking the gods why he would take such a huge gamble on naming her his successor when he could have handed his title over to someone else. Someone more deserving and qualified than her. Nevertheless, no matter what his justification was, Lord Inoue had entrusted her with this responsibility.

He believed in her. He had always believed in her. Right now, though, she had needed to believe in herself. She needed to pull herself together and rely on her strength and wit so that his faith would not be in vain.

And there were so many things that needed to be resolved, but before she could do anything, she had to take into regard Sōsuke Aizen.

Deep down, she wanted to fight him so she could avenge her clan, but the lord of Naitsu had made certain she would not have the necessary resources for retaliation. He had taken unwarranted measures to ensure that he would have possession of her homeland and leave her with no military power, but now claimed that he would allow her to have authority as the rightful heir _if_ they united in marriage.

Her heart sank further into her chest. Long ago, she had given up her desire of marrying and raising a family but she did create other dreams for herself – dreams and plans that would have given her a sense of purpose and hope toward the future. All that now greatly conflicted with the direction her life was taking.

Yet, if she did not go through and exercised her rights as Tenkū's heir, the Shogunate would repossess the province or grant it to someone else. And as highly as she respected the Shogun and his administration, she could not stomach the idea of Tenkū being in another clan's jurisdiction when it had been governed by the Inoue for more than ten generations.

Unfortunately, the measures that needed to be executed felt like a contradiction to everything she was fighting for as well as an indirect slap to the faces of those suffering or killed from the siege.

But there were no other options for her to take. Not in order to keep what had now become her most precious possession in the world.

Orihime heard her stomach growl and tapped it with her hand. "Maybe I should have taken up Miss Hisae's offer…" She lightly laughed before hearing footsteps coming from the hallway. _Perfect timing!_ "Miss Hisae, I think I will take some tea and food now!"

"Hisae is cleaning the meditation room."

Orihime nearly jumped out of her skin and swiftly turned around to see Ulquiorra staring at her impassively from the doorway. "I thought you were in town!"

"I do not need to stay longer than I require."

"Were you afraid that I'd run away?"

"No. You have too much at stake to even consider the idea."

Orihime grumbled under her breath. She hated that he was right and had somehow rubbed it in her face.

"However," Ulquiorra continued, "had you gone through with your foolish plan, I would have tracked you down and arrested you before you could even set your eyes on the main gate, then hold you in contempt at the bugyō's office until your sentence had been decided."

"You take your work very seriously," she replied with widen eyes.

The Samurai General made no effort to respond.

Orihime's expression went from surprise to prim. "Well then…since you are to be my caretaker, I would like for you to go to Lord Aizen and tell him that I request an audience with him. Please be sure to mention that he will get an answer to his proposal."

"Do you have other petitions?"

She looked away from him. "No. You may leave now."

He stepped out of the room leaving her alone in silence.

. . .

The sun was setting when Orihime found herself back in Lord Sōsuke Aizen's audience chamber. She had sat on one of the mats and was waiting patiently for the daimyo to arrive with Ulquiorra standing quietly next to her. She had been surprised to hear so soon from the general that her request had been approved and that his master was willing to see her this evening. She figured he must have been eager to hear her decision whereas she somewhat dreaded the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

The chamber's main door was opened by the dark-skinned guard she saw earlier. She watched him step into the room with Lord Aizen following in from behind.

Orihime straightened her posture and kept her face firm. There was no going back now.

"Good evening, Lady Orihime," Lord Aizen said.

Orihime returned his greeting with a bow. "Good evening to you…my lord." She rose up and sworn that she saw his eyes beam in delight over her address. "I apologize if I've interrupted your schedule."

The daimyo sat across from her. "Not at all. I'm pleased to see you here."

"I'm glad then for I've come to speak with you about my decision."

"You have my undivided attention."

"Well…after much consideration, I believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to accept your proposal."

"You are certain?"

"I am," Orihime assured. "Our marriage will be beneficial not only for us, but for our people. I desire nothing more than to be of help for my clan get back on their feet and move pass this difficult time…which brings me to the request I wish to ask of you."

He cocked an eyebrow. "A request?"

She nodded. "I ask for your permission to let me to return to Tenkū. I would like to give my brother and all the people who died for him their funeral rites and a proper burial."

"You don't believe the peasants are taking care of that matter?"

"I believe they are, but I also want to be there so I can offer my assistance…and for my heart to be at peace."

He rested his chin on his hand. "You seek closure."

"Yes. I do."

Orihime watched him close his eyes and contemplate over her request. It felt like a long period had passed before she decided to speak up again. "If you like, please grant this to me as a wedding gift and I'll never ask of anything again."

Another moment went by before Lord Aizen opened his eyes and smirked at her. "I'm impressed by your devotion to your people, even more so that you are willing to make sacrifices for their sake. How long do you plan to be away?"

"I would like to stay until after the shonanoka. I promise that I will return after the ceremony is finished."

"Very well, Lady Orihime. You have my permission to leave Naitsu."

Orihime hid her joy but quickly bowed at him. "I'm very grateful, my lord."

"However, I cannot allow for you to go alone," Lord Aizen said before looking upward at Ulquiorra. "I am assigning Ulquiorra to be your escort."

Orihime felt her face twitch. "Eh?"

Ulquiorra stood firm. Displeased but firm.

"This arrangement is to ensure for your return to Naitsu as well as your safety," Lord Aizen said, eyes now focused back on Orihime. "I desire to learn more about you, but that will have to wait. The two of you will need at least a day to get there. I suggest you both plan your trip accordingly and get some rest."

"I understand," she replied.

Lord Aizen rose to his feet, prompting Orihime to do the same. "I wish you both a safe journey."

"Thank you, my lord."

Orihime graced him with one more bow and headed toward the corridor. Ulquiorra bowed at his master and was about to make his leave, but immediately stopped his footing when he heard his name beckoned from behind.

"Keep your eye on her," Lord Aizen stated inaudibly low. "Make sure she doesn't do anything to jeopardize our progress."

"You have my word," Ulquiorra answered solidly. He slipped the zōri onto his feet then walked out of the audience chamber to follow after his young red-haired ward.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Glossary:<strong>

**Bugyō – **Literal: "Magistrate, Governor, Commissioner."

**Shonanoka – **"Seventh day after death". A memorial service is held on this day for those who wish to offer sutras and prayers. The ceremony is part of the final ritual to ensure the souls of the deceased are able to be at peace and join their ancestors.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not make any profit from writing this story. I'm simply borrowing Tite Kubo's characters for my sheer enjoyment. Also, most of the historical context has been researched and taken from various books and the internet. That being said, certain artistic liberties may still apply when seen fit for the story.


	3. Chapter Three

**Empire of the Sun**

**By: Katreju**

**Chapter Three**

* * *

><p>The sun had barely peeked over the mountains by the time Orihime and Ulquiorra arrived at the main gate. He had advised her the night before that they must leave before dawn if they were to arrive in Tenkū by mid-day. At that time she had willingly agreed to his plan, but now she was regretting her support as she yawned and groggily went through the gate with eyes half-opened.<p>

On a road heading into the plains, there was a boy who looked no older than twelve years of age holding onto the reins of the black horse which belonged to the General. As they drew nearer, Orihime took interest in the child's features. His black hair, amber eyes and fair skin reminded her of someone, but at the moment she could not place who.

"Good morning, Master!" The boy bowed at Ulquiorra. "I made sure your horse was well fed and had plenty of water for the trip. I also packed some extra feed in case he gets hungry again."

Ulquiorra acknowledged him with a nod and the child turned his attention on Orihime.

"Would you like me to help you up, Lady Inoue?" the boy asked.

"Oh…" Orihime said, his question snapping her out of her daze. "That's alright. I can manage by myself."

The boy looked at her skeptically. "…Are you sure, my lady?"

She smiled at him. "Positive! This shouldn't be hard for me to handle!"

Orihime walked over to the horse and placed her hands on top of the saddle. She pushed herself up and leaned forward using her knee to steady herself, but quickly lost her balance and yowled as she tottered forward with legs exposed in the air. Her cheeks flushed, she looked back over her shoulder to see Ulquiorra's sharp eyes giving her an incredulous look and the child awkwardly looking away from the scene. It then dawned upon her why she should have taken the offered assistance.

Her normal riding attire would have consisted of a kosode, umanori and waraji, but since she currently had limited choice over her clothing, she had to dress herself in a fuchsia kimono patterned with white lilies and a soft-pink obi. The garment was beautiful but much too elegant and constricted for horse riding, which she had just proven by the foolish spectacle she made of herself.

Orihime laughed nervously before quickly adjusting on top of the saddle, her legs dangling on the left side of the horse. "I'm sorry! I'm sure you guys didn't want to see that!"

Not saying a word, Ulquiorra mounted on top of the horse behind Orihime and secured their traveling pouches over his shoulder. He then circled his arms around her to take hold of the reins which caused her to scoot slightly forward so there was at least minimal space between them.

The boy waved at them. "Please have a safe trip!"

"Arre arre," Ulquiorra commanded and the horse instantly took off into the plains.

Once they were several miles away from Naitsu, Ulquiorra felt the girl shifting in her seat. He tried not to pay her any mind and kept his focus on the road. It was not until she was trying to lift up her right leg that he shut down his apathy and broke the silence. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to make myself comfortable," Orihime replied. After one more attempt, she was able to finally bring her leg over and sit in a straddle position. "This feels much better!"

_Outlandish_, he judged.

Was this girl truly of noble blood? Even though she was deemed a daughter of the Inoue clan, it was obvious from the moment they met she was not Japanese or at least mixed with another race and more likely one from the Northern Countries. If that was the case, then the rumors about her might hold some verity. After all, her lineage had still remained ambiguous.

Orihime let out a long, dramatic yawn. "I'm going to try to go back to sleep. Please don't forget about the stop we have to make before going to the capital."

"I have not forgotten," he assured.

It did not take long for the red-head to fall asleep with her head unintentionally resting against Ulquiorra as if he were a pillow. Of course he did not approve of the role he was now playing in her comfort, but there was no other alternative for him given the situation. He then further justified that if she remained asleep then she would be unable to create any mischief that would draw attention to her, or _him_ for that matter.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something warm and wet spreading across his shoulder. He instantly looked down and noticed that she was sleeping with her mouth wide open and leaving a puddle of drool on his kimono.

Ulquiorra slowly lifted his head back up and returned his eyes on the road.

This was going to be a long day.

. . .

Tatsuki Arisawa travelled along the misty, narrow road leading from the rice fields into the quiet rural-mountain town that was her home. As she approached the gate, she noticed a small group of ashigaru loitering nearby and proceeded on by without acknowledging them.

"You look a bit roughed up, peasant!" one of the soldiers shouted at her. "Been messing around in the fields all night? If you like, I can give you a better time than what you seemed to have enjoyed!"

Hearing the other soldiers snickering alongside him, Tatsuki resisted the urge to go over and knock them out. As much satisfaction that would bring her, she did not have the energy to waste over worthless dogs. The last two days had pushed her body to its limits. She was tired, dirty and sore, but most of all she was livid.

She slammed open the front door of her family's house then walked inside to find her parents talking with the chief monk from the nearby shrine.

Her mother, displaying concern all over her face, stood up and quickly walked over to her. "Did you find out anything?"

Tatsuki angrily looked away from her. "No."

"I'm sorry, dear," she replied sadly.

"I'm not giving up yet," Tatsuki stated. "I just need to rest for a moment then I'll go back out."

Her mother nodded. "I'll make some breakfast for you."

Tatsuki's mother then went into the kitchen while Tatsuki walked over to her father and the monk. Both men stood to their feet and her father placed a firm hand on her shoulder, causing her to angrily look down at the floor. "I'm fine, Pa."

"I know," he said gently as he watched Tatsuki's scowl deepen. "Go take a bath. After you've had something to eat and some rest, we'll go look for your friend."

"…Alright."

He patted her shoulder before walking out of the house and shutting the door behind him.

"I sense that Lady Orihime is alive," the monk said with great confidence.

Tatsuki quickly moved her blue eyes onto him. "How do you know that?"

"While I was praying last night, an odd vision came to me."

"A vision?"

The monk nodded. "There was a spirit shrouded in great darkness. It positioned itself in a fighting stance, with a katana in its left hand while protectively holding a gem cut like a hibiscus in its right. As you may already know, it's not common for one to carry their sword in their left hand, but my attention was drawn more to the accessory that this spirit possessed."

Tatsuki had a puzzled look on her face. "I don't follow."

"Since the Heian period, the hibiscus has been the symbol of the Inoue clan." He watched Tatsuki nod slowly. "Therefore, it is my belief that the accessory might represent Lady Orihime."

She lifted an eyebrow. "And the shadow thing?"

"It's unclear to say, but given the current circumstances, it might be a representation of the people who attacked the castle."

"…So you're telling me, because of this vision, you think that Orihime has been kidnapped?"

The monk nodded again. "It's very possible."

"If that's true…then she's even further out of my reach…" she said glumly.

"Please do not despair," the monk smiled warmly. "There is no distance between two people whose hearts are connected."

As corny as his comment was, Tatsuki could not stop her frown from turning upward into a grin.

"There's that lovely smile of yours," he said.

After lightly slapping his arm, Tatsuki went over to the door leading to the back of the house. Before opening it, she turned around to face the monk once more. "It's no surprise why you and Orihime get along so great."

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"You both are very kind and inspiring people. Something I'm _definitely_ not," she snickered. "Lord Sora was the same, ya know, but he's…it's still too unreal to believe…but I'm going to keep pushing forward for Orihime's sake. And…I'm not much of a spiritual person, but if you can ask the gods to listen to me this once, I'd be very grateful."

"You don't have to ask me to do that, Miss Tatsuki, even though I believe they already hear your prayers."

Tatsuki snickered again. "You're way _too_ nice, hōshi-sama."

"You're the one who is being too nice. You can just call me Hachigen."

"Nah, you're still a monk and deserve respect. So I'll just call you 'Monk Hacchi'," she smirked.

His smile broadened. "That is fine by me, Miss Tatsuki."

. . .

Crouching on the shore, Orihime cupped her hands together and submerged them into the crystal blue waters of the lake. She then brought them upward and splashed her face with the small amount she collected, delighting in the water's coolness as it saturated and refreshed her skin. She started patting her face dry then turned to her companion who was busy quenching its thirst.

Despite the many horses she ridden in the past, this was the first time she had ever seen a true black. A stableman once told her that their breed was very rare and if you came across one then Daikokuten smiled down on you with great favor. Now that she had seen one up close, she understood why and marveled at the grandeur of the stallion next to her. Strong-built, compact yet elegant with a thick mane and tail, she could not help thinking that the stallion was somehow fitting for the General.

Her hand reached forward and stroked his mane. She smiled when he did not flinch away from her touch, pleased to know that he did not inherit his master's cold temper.

"We will be leaving shortly," she heard from the other side of the horse.

Orihime stood to her feet then peeked over to see Ulquiorra straightening the collar of his kimono. "Did you get the stain out?"

His expression remained neutral as his eyes met hers in a stare down.

She cocked an eyebrow. "A simple 'yes' or 'no' is fine, you know!"

"Does it concern you that much?" he asked.

"Not really! I mean, I _am_ sorry that you had to suffer with my drool getting on you. It's pretty disgusting and rude even though I wasn't aware of what I was doing. But if you're going to continue acting this way and not accept the tenth apology that I gave you, then I'll stop feeling guilty about it and be unsympathetic should it happen again in the future."

He walked over and stood next to her. "If you are done babbling, I will help you onto the saddle."

Orihime inspected his kimono then pouted her lips at him before accepting his assistance. Ulquiorra placed his hands on her waist, lifted her onto the saddle then lifted himself and took his seat behind her. As she resumed a straddle position, he secured the pouches over his shoulder once again and steered the horse away from the lake and back to the crossroad.

"We have to go down that road to get to the village," she said with her finger pointing toward the east. "The other one will only take us to the castle."

"You do not have to tell me," he stated matter-of-factly. "I am familiar with this area."

The implication behind his words was like a stab in her heart. She pressed a hand over her chest as though it would ease her discomfort.

"…Of course you are…" she replied somberly.

Ulquiorra stared down at her briefly before commanding his horse to go forward. As they rode into the woods, Orihime kept her brown eyes on the path ahead and her hand clinging to the collar of her kimono. She thought about her best friend and all the families who lived in the village and hoped they were not experiencing a great loss like she was.

_I'll be there soon, Tatsuki. _

. . .

As if a voice called to her in the wind, Tatsuki awoke from her nap and looked up at the noonday sun from underneath the tree branches. She quickly sat up and rubbed away the sleep from her eyes. "I must've overslept."

Picking up the knapsack her mother had prepared for her, Tatsuki placed a straw hat on her head and set out toward the village dōjō. It did not take her long to get there and when she arrived, she found her father tidying up the training hall while whistling a peculiar tune. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the door frame. "What do you have stuck in your head now?"

Tatsuki's father acknowledged her with a smile then resumed aligning the wall scrolls that were next to the altar. "I'm not sure, but I heard several people singing it during yozakura and I haven't been able to get out of my head since."

Tatsuki grinned mischievously. "Was this when Danno and his pals got wasted and danced like fools in the fields?"

He laughed heartily. "No. _That_ is a song you'll never hear coming out of my mouth. I was referring to the one about the spring season, specifically about the cherry blossoms. I don't quite remember the words, but perhaps Lady Orihime might know it and can teach this old man after we find her."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "You're thirty-eight, Pa. That's hardly old."

"Tell me again when you're my age," he said as he began shutting all the doors.

Tatsuki snickered before changing the subject. "Anyway, Ma told me to tell you not to worry about anything. Oki and her family will keep an eye on her while we're gone."

"We are privileged to know good people. It's rare to come across in this day and age."

"No surprise, really. The good folks are either overshadowed by corrupt idiots or preyed on by the jerks who abuse their power."

"An unfortunate world we live in." He picked up his knapsack and walked over to his daughter. "We can leave now if you're ready."

"I am," she stated with no hesitancy.

"Then let's be on our way."

After leaving the dojo, the two decided to take a back road that snaked out of the village and into the mountains. They wanted to avoid suspicion with the ashigaru and leave without creating any hassle that could delay their mission. Once they succeeded crossing through the rice fields, Tatsuki became less tense but kept her defenses up as she lead the way.

"Do you have any ideas as to where we should look first?" her father asked.

"No," Tatsuki frowned. "But I thought maybe we can search around the neighboring towns before completely leaving the province."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Orihime couldn't have gone unnoticed. With those big eyes and that fiery mane she has, people had to have seen her."

"True. And we might be able to gather information about the army occupying the castle," He paused, his face stern. "It's still hard for me to believe that Lord Inoue would have enemies, especially ones that would take drastic measures to end his reign. This conduct was common back in warring days, but it is unfounded in this new era. I hope that the Shogun will step in and take control of the situation before it can spread and get any worse."

Tatsuki scoffed at his last remark. "I doubt he'll do anything. The Shogun already has demands and issues that take precedence over his own people. That old man will be near his grave by the time he realizes one of his own fudai is dead."

"Watch your tongue," he rebuked. "People have been known to lose their heads over what they speak about the Shogun."

"Don't worry, Pa," Tatsuki said, swatting him on the back. "Your heir will still be in one piece before you retire."

"When you can learn to rein in that mouth, I'll believe you."

Their conversation cut short when the sound of a galloping horse became audible in their ears. Tatsuki suspiciously looked at the road up ahead and placed a hand on her tantō. "It's coming toward us."

Her father tilted up his straw hat. "It might be a government official or a samurai." He positioned his hand over his tantō. "Be on your guard but don't attack."

Tatsuki nodded as she waited for the stranger to reveal their identity, tightening her grip on her weapon. However, when the rider came into closer view, her eyes became wider and her heart quickened.

Coming from the opposite direction, Orihime had spotted Tatsuki and her father standing in their path and yelled out frantically. "Please stop the horse!"

Understanding the reason behind Orihime's sudden outburst, Ulquiorra shifted his weight back on the saddle and pulled the reins until his horse stopped a few yards away from the traveling duo. Orihime immediately jumped off the saddle and hastily ran ahead until she had embraced Tatsuki in her arms.

"Tatsuki," she said, letting a few tears fall from her eyes. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

Too stunned to say anything, Tatsuki returned her friend's embrace and held back her own tears. "Silly, of course I'm alright. It looks like you are too."

Orihime said nothing but nodded.

Tatsuki's father smiled down at the girls before placing a hand on Orihime's shoulder. "It appears that we won't have to go searching for you, my lady."

"You both came looking for me…?" Orihime asked in surprise.

"Of course!" shouted Tatsuki.

"Did you think we wouldn't set out to find our beloved friend?" said Tatsuki's father.

Touched by their words, Orihime held back her second wave of tears and genuinely smiled for the first time in days.

While the three were caught up in their reunion, Ulquiorra stepped off his horse and casually headed toward them. He ceased his steps when he was within closer vicinity but kept his eyes fixed on the young red-head.

Tatsuki's father eventually noticed the samurai's presence and acknowledged him with the bowing of his head. "Thank you for bringing Lady Orihime back to us. We're very grateful."

"You have the wrong impression," Ulquiorra said dryly. "I brought her here for a visit and nothing more."

"What do you mean 'only for a visit'?" Tatsuki asked defensively.

"That girl is not staying with you. She will be returning with me once she has finished her tasks here."

"Is that so?" Tatsuki glared at him, releasing her hands off Orihime. This man's attitude was rubbing her the wrong way and she did not want to hurt her friend with her strength. "And what makes you think that I'm going to let you take her? I don't even know who you are."

"That is irrelevant, as are you in the matters concerning her."

Tatsuki stepped forward with her fist directed at him. "I dare you to come over and say that to my face!"

"Calm down, Tatsuki," her father said, now observing the two swords tied to Ulquiorra's waist.

Tatsuki looked back at her friend. "Who is this guy, Orihime?"

"Um, well…" Orihime said, fumbling for words. "He's my escort..."

The black-haired girl raised an eyebrow. "This jerk is your escort? Is he a member of your clan?"

"No…he's not. He's-"

"General of Lord Sōsuke Aizen, Ulquiorra Cifer of Naitsu," Ulquiorra boldly interrupted. "I am also the guardian of his betrothed and the daimyo of Tenkū, Lady Orihime Inoue."

Silence tensed around everyone like a vast ocean.

Once Tatsuki had processed the information, her blood started to boil. Finding out that Orihime could be their new daimyo was a huge and unexpected revelation, but to find out that she was now engaged to some man probably twice her age? Who without a doubt might take advantage of her and ruin her life?

Her hands tightly clenched into fists, she initiated an intense staring match with the stoic General. "…There is no way that Orihime would ever agree to that."

"You can choose to stay in denial," Ulquiorra replied nonchalantly.

"Shut up! You're nothing but a lying-!"

"He's not lying, Tatsuki," Orihime gently intervened. "I am the daimyo of Tenkū and I do intend to take Sōsuke Aizen as my husband as soon as we're able to be married."

A dead silence commenced again as Tatsuki slowly turned and stared fearfully at her friend.

Not saying anything more, Orihime feigned a smile.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Glossary<strong>:

**Umanori** – Tight-fitting trousers (hakama) that are divided in the legs and can be worn for horse-riding.

**Waraji **– Sandals made from straw. Standard footwear for commoners, but were also worn by the samurai and ashigaru.

**Hōshi-sama – **Respectful title used for a monk, typically one who practices Buddhism.

**Daikokuten – **One of the Seven Gods of Fortune (or Seven Lucky Gods). God of wealth, commerce and trade.

**Fudai (daimyo) – **Class of lords who held close standing with the Shogun and were part of the inner court. These were vassals who had pledged their allegiance and garnered the trust of the Shogun before his ascension, or were descended from those served his clan. The opposite of this is Tozama (daimyo), who were considered outsiders for either having fought against the Shogun or remained neutral during the war.

**Tantō – **Short sword, like a dagger or knife, which was either single-edged or double-edged.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I do not make any profit from writing this story. I'm simply borrowing Tite Kubo's characters for my sheer enjoyment. Also, most of the historical context has been researched and taken from various books and the internet. That being said, certain artistic liberties may still apply when seen fit for the story.


	4. Chapter Four

**Empire of the Sun**

**By: Katreju**

**Chapter Four**

* * *

><p>Tatsuki's mother happily walked into the dining room carrying a tray with four cups of warm tea. She kneeled and lowered the tray in front of Orihime, who picked up a cup and thanked her, then turned to her husband and daughter who each took a cup for themselves. The satisfied gleam in her eyes soon turned into one of puzzlement as she looked around the room.<p>

"Where is the young man that was with Lady Orihime?" she asked.

"He's waiting outside 'til we're done talking," Tatsuki said crossly. She took a sip of her tea. "You might as well drink the cup you made for him so it won't go to waste."

The woman then looked at her husband, who gave her a nod, and recognized the look that told her he will explain everything later. She quietly stood up with the tray and walked back into the kitchen.

Tatsuki's father then turned his eyes on the young red-head who seemed to be in a good mood and enjoying the tea she was given. Normally when he had witnessed someone in a dire situation such as hers, they would not be in such high spirits, but this girl…

"My lady," he started, gaining Orihime's attention. "Are you certain that you've thought over your decision thoroughly? As someone who was part of Lord Inoue's council, I might be able to find other means of assistance so that you don't have to go through with this union."

Orihime gently set her cup on her lap. "I've had a lot of time to think about this and I'm certain that I'm doing the right thing. But even if I was unsure about my decision, I know there are no other options I can take since I do not have the power and resources my brother once had. Therefore, I have to do what's best with what I've been given so that the road to recovery will be smoother and hopefully quicker for everyone."

Tatsuki grimaced, her hands tightening around the cup she held.

"I understand," the older man leaned forward in a bow. "Forgive me for overstepping my place."

Orihime frantically waved her hands out in front of him. "A-ah, you don't have to do that! You were trying to help me and I really appreciate that. And despite all that has happened, I…" She paused and meekly looked down at the floor. "I know that I'm not my brother, nor will I ever be, but I was hoping that your village can continue being an ally with my clan. I would really appreciate having your support and maybe I can learn some things from you along the way. Still, you don't have to if you don't want to. I'll understand and won't take away your title if you say no."

She felt a firm grip on her shoulder and immediately looked up into a pair of deep-blue eyes. Although she was nervous about his response, the warm smile he had made her somewhat at ease.

"It would be my honor to serve you, my lady. Not only as the daimyo of our land but as a very dear friend whom I consider as part of my family."

Thrilled over his answer, Orihime humbly bowed at him. "Thank you so much! I will do my very best not to disappoint you, sir!"

"I believe you'll do fine." He encouraged before standing to his feet and walking toward the kitchen.

Once her father was out of sight, Tatsuki moved her eyes onto her friend who had quietly returned to sipping her tea. "You can drop the act now, Orihime."

Orihime's face etched with confusion. "I don't know what you mean."

Tatsuki sighed out of frustration. "It's just me and you so you don't have to pretend anymore."

Her eyes became wider. "Pretend?"

"Yes," she said sternly, "unless you're honestly going to sit there and tell me that you're okay with being indebted to that monster."

Orihime's eyes slackened as she quietly took another sip.

"It has to be killing you inside to go through with this," Tatsuki said. "I know that you would rather cut off your feet than be committed to that jerk."

"Mm, but if I cut off my feet then I can't walk anymore and have to rely on someone else for the rest of my life. I also won't be able to wriggle my toes in the sand when I go to the beach, dance around in the rain or when I'm at a festival, or climb up the steps when I visit different shrines and temples. Not to mention that I would have difficulty bowing when I need to show my respect or even to be friendly to someone that I like."

Tatsuki closed her eyes and clenched her hands. "Why are you turning this into a joke?"

"I'm not. Those are concerns I would have if I lost my feet."

Tatsuki gritted her teeth. "Are you trying to make me mad?"

"No," Orihime said, her voice serious but still gentle. "I'm trying not to let you get worried sick over me."

"Bad chance of that happening now, don't you think?" Tatsuki shouted as she stood to her feet. "Did you think I was going to accept this? AS IF! The very thought of it makes me angry yet you're asking me to be okay with your decision! But I can't nor will I because this is NOT fair, Orihime!"

The dark-haired girl turned around with her back facing her friend. "It's just not fair. You deserve better…so much better...after everything you've been through yet you're still being punished and for what?"

Hearing the subtle crack in her friend's voice, Orihime stood up and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Tatsuki. I didn't mean to upset you."

It remained quiet in the room until Tatsuki placed a hand over Orihime's head and lightly played with the lily-shaped ornament that held up her hair. "Don't blame yourself. This was out of your control. I wanted the best for you…and I still do."

"I know."

The two friends released each other and remained standing side by side. "How long will you be here?"

"I have three days until I go back," Orihime said. "I plan on using the time to pay my respects and help out anyway I can. I also want to inform everyone of what's going on so they won't be afraid over what's to come."

"Your first two reasons I get, but the last one. Are you comfortable doing that?" Tatsuki asked grimly.

Hesitating to respond, Orihime laced her hands together with an uneasy smile. "…I'd like to think so…but really, I'm not sure…"

. . .

"Ladies, quick! Turn your eyes over here!"

"…Oh my…he _is_ good-looking!"

"Huh? I don't see it."

"Are you blind? He's _handsome_!"

"Well he would be if he didn't have those scars."

"I think they make him look more intriguing! You know, in a roguish sort of way!"

"Well if anything, he _does_ look like he's a man of high status."

"Do you think he's married?"

"Why don't you go over and ask him?"

"Now what kind of lady would I be if I just throw myself at him? Though I wouldn't mind wooing him with my charm and getting to know him more intimately."

The group of village women laughed and continued on with their comments from a distance. However, unaware to them, Ulquiorra heard their chatter from underneath the tree he stood against and had refused to acknowledge them.

Until now.

With a straight face, his brow slightly drawn together, the General heatedly stared at the clamorous hens without uttering a single word. Once they realized he was on to them, the women panicked and whispered amongst themselves.

"I didn't think he could hear us..."

"He looks pretty mad."

"He looks downright frightening!"

"We should leave."

"Yes, please!"

The group quickly picked up their feet and scuttled down the road to escape Ulquiorra's unrelenting eyes. After they were completely out of his sight, he closed his eyes again and embraced the peaceful solitude he had been granted. He could never fathom why he garnered so much unwanted attention, especially when he strongly detested how he always seemed to be a target for public scrutiny.

He heard the main door of the Arisawa house open and shut, which signaled to him the time he had for himself had come to an end. Yet he made no effort to acknowledge the person walking toward him and remained planted against the tree.

"My wife sent me out here to give you this," Tatsuki's father said. He extended his hand out and offered Ulquiorra a bowl filled with three onigiri. When Ulquiorra did not respond to the kind gesture, the man brought his arm inward and chuckled. "They're not poisoned, in case you're wondering. Had they been made by my daughter then I would understand your hesitance. But Ran is quite the opposite and holds no ill toward you."

"You seemed to be bothered by that," Ulquiorra stated.

The village leader's face turned grim. "Can't say that I'm not, but who am I to control how she feels. So are you going to take this?"

"No."

"Your loss," he said with lack of remorse. "Perhaps Lady Orihime will be grateful to have your portion."

"Considering she had eaten most of our food supply and expressed that she was still hungry, I doubt she will refuse your offer."

Amused, Tatsuki's father could not help but smile. "That girl has always had a tremendous appetite. It's good to know that she hasn't lost that."

A moment passed between them before Ulquiorra broke the tension. "What other business do you have with me, Tatsuya Arisawa?"

"Looks like I won't have to give you a formal introduction," Tatsuya said humorlessly. "Very well. I do have one question and it's about your lord, Sōsuke Aizen. What does he believe he's accomplishing by wanting control over Tenkū?"

"Do you honestly believe that I would enclose that information to you?"

"Not right away since you seem like a tough person to crack. However, I can be very persuasive…especially when I deserve to know the truth about why mylord was murdered in cold blood." Tatsuya eyed him harshly. "You're ranked as a general so I know that you are very aware and involved in the plans that your lord desires to accomplish."

Ulquiorra finally opened his eyes and focused on the village leader. "And here I assumed that as a retainer you would at least have the basic knowledge of hierarchy."

Tatsuya raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"You stated since I am general that I would have information on par with Lord Aizen and his council. But you are mistaken. A samurai is merely a limb of the body he serves, the body being his master's will. His purpose does not change even if he elevates in rank and prestige. Therefore, any information I am given is to ensure that my superiors' plans are carried out without failure."

"Yet you haven't denied that you know the reasoning behind this madness," Tatsuya rebutted, his hand dangerously close to his tantō. "As I said before, I can be _very_ persuasive in getting the information I want. Don't force me to take such measures."

Indifferent to his threat, Ulquiorra waited for the man to make the first move.

"Dear!" Ran shouted from the doorway with a tray in her hands. "You forgot to bring his tea and the nori!"

Tatsuya quickly moved his hand away from his tantō then turned around to smile at his wife. "The General isn't hungry at the moment and asked that we give his portion to Lady Orihime."

Ran titled her head. "But didn't she leave with Tatsuki a little while ago?"

Before Tatsuya could mutter one word, Ulquiorra swiftly made his way over to the house and passed Ran through the doorway. He began searching in the kitchen then through the rooms for the girl but she was nowhere to be found.

He stood in the hallway and pondered over how she could have been able to sneak out without his detection. He then realized that the only distraction he had aside from those annoying women was Tatsuya Arisawa, who he was certain was a willing accomplice alongside his brash, unkempt daughter in his ward's escape.

The sound of footsteps brought Ulquiorra out of his ticking mind and caused him to stare coldly at the suspect, who now had a smug smile across his lips.

"Relax, General," Tatsuya said with complete satisfaction. "She went to visit an old friend at the shrine and will be back before sundown."

Not waiting to put any more distance between him and his ward, Ulquiorra quickly passed by the village leader and made his exit from the house.

. . .

With a broom in hand, Monk Hachigen Ushōda hummed a soft melody as he swept around the shrine's courtyard. Since he had not received any visitors, he decided to tidy up the place just in case more people came searching for refuge.

A shrine maiden quietly approached him. "We have finished cleaning the worship hall and are ready for our next task, Monk Hacchi."

He turned and smiled at her. "Thank you. It will be dinner time soon. Perhaps we should make our way to the kitchen and begin preparing some meals for everyone!"

The shrine maiden smile as she bowed toward him. "Most certainly."

When she headed back toward the temple, Hacchi looked up at the willow tree next to him. Although he had shown quiet strength and a peaceful demeanor in the front of the others, the tragedy that happened at Tenkū castle still weighed heavily on his heart. And now because of the foreboding vision he had, he could not stop worrying about his dear friend and what fate had become of her.

He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. "I hope you're safe."

"Hacchi-dono!"

Hearing the familiar cheerful voice calling out to him, Hacchi moved his eyes toward to the sandō area and immediately his face beamed at the sight of an excited Orihime waving at him. Right behind her was Tatsuki who waved once before bringing her hand down on her hip. The three headed toward each other and met near the tōrō that was next to the sandō. Keeping smiles intact, Hacchi and Orihime bowed toward each other.

"I'm very relieved to see you, my friend," Hacchi said.

"The feeling is mutual," Orihime replied. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

"Please don't apologize. You have been through much turmoil these past days."

Orihime nodded somberly. "Yes…about that…"

"How about we go inside? We can talk without anyone hearing the details."

"I would like that very much."

Hacchi looked over at Tatsuki. "Of course you are welcomed to join us, Miss Tatsuki."

"I'll be fine," Tatsuki assured. "Besides, I think she will have a better time explaining everything without having to worry about me getting upset again."

Orihime looked at her best friend. "Are you sure?"

"Positive! I'll just hang around until you two are done."

"Very well," Hacchi said, nodding. "Please come this way."

Orihime followed next to the enormous monk as he led her toward the office building. It was odd for her to see the shrine practically vacant and became curious as to why.

"Where are your helpers?" she asked.

"They are serving in the capital," Hacchi replied. He opened a door and allowed for Orihime to step first into the room they would be occupying for the rest of afternoon. "Most of them have been there since we had received word of the attack. So it's only me and two maidens caring for the shrine."

Orihime sat on the matted floor. "And what about the head priestess?"

Hacchi sat across from her. "She visited only for a night, but then she decided to travel around as well to offer her assistance. She won't be returning until after she has visited all the villages and shrines in the prefecture. We had received word that Tenkū is very close to being completely infiltrated by this unknown army."

"I see."

"Does her traveling concern you?"

"No. It's the devastation being brought upon innocent people…" she paused to keep her voice from raising any louder. "How could Aizen do this?"

"Aizen?" Hacchi asked peculiarly. "As in Lord Sōsuke Aizen of Naitsu?"

Orihime responded with a nod.

"Hm…" Hacchi paused, his mind now racing with so many questions. "May you tell me everything from the beginning?"

"Yes," she affirmed and began her story from the night she lost her brother and home.

The monk listened closely to every detail she spoke. His countenance would alternate between shock and a calm composure, especially when Orihime told him of the marriage proposal and why she accepted. There were a few times in the conversation where he wanted to speak his thoughts, but seeing how strong her resolve was along with the subtle sadness in her voice, he kept quiet to not cause her any more pain.

"I apologize, but I'm afraid that I don't have the right words to give you," Hacchi said softly.

Orihime gently shook her head. "Please don't be. Being here and talking to you has been comforting. Besides, it's giving me much needed time away from my escort."

"Ah, so you do have a companion. I have been wondering if you were traveling by yourself."

She chuckled. "Lord Aizen doesn't trust me just yet for that to happen. I only wish that he gave me someone…well…nicer."

"Has this person harmed you?"

"Only my pride, sometimes. He doesn't talk very much but when he does, he can cut pretty deep with his words. Though I have to admit that he can make you feel inferior or foolish even when he doesn't say anything at all."

"Sounds like a man of great talent," Hacchi humored.

"Well he is a samurai," Orihime said with less enthusiasm than her friend. "But that still doesn't give him the right to act the way he does."

"You never know what internal struggles people are dealing with, my friend."

"Yes, but…" she exhaled sharply. "I don't think I can ever get along with him. And I know that I should completely hold blame toward Aizen, but General Cifer is also at fault. He could have allowed me to stay and grieve for my brother or allowed me to die alongside him, but he didn't. He left my brother's body lying on the floor where he was murdered and forced me to return to Naitsu with him, even though I had begged him to my last breath to release me."

Her fingers knotted in her lap. "And it really bothers me that despite knowing the pain that I'm going through, he has been insensitive toward my feelings and treats me like I'm nothing but a burden to him. So no, I really don't care what he's been through to justify the cruel and heartless person he is!"

Hacchi watched her gently wipe away the tears gathering at her eyes. "It's alright if you wish to cry."

"But if I do, I won't have enough strength left to keep pressing forward," she murmured.

Hacchi reached out and held her delicate hands in his enormous ones. "Through every difficulty you have faced, I have watched you mature from the timid young girl you were into the courageous young woman that you are now. Please do not doubt yourself, my friend. You carry a strength that is equal to a hundred samurai and a heart that is great enough to forgive."

Slightly touched by his words, she smiled at him tenderly. "Thank you, Hacchi-dono."

Hacchi smiled endearingly at her before his golden eyes curiously looked toward the doorway. "Ah, it appears that we have the honorable presence of a samurai."

"Eh?" Orihime exclaimed as she hastily looked behind her and gawked at the unannounced spectator. "H-how long have you been standing there?"

Ulquiorra blankly stared down at her. "Quite some time."

She felt her cheeks become warm. "You could have said something!"

"Lower your voice. We are in a shrine."

She sent him an annoyed look. "Well now that you've found me, are you going to force me to go back to the village?"

"No," he said, watching her eyes widen from his answer. "Even though I have not overlooked your defiance, I will extend your visit until sundown."

Surprised by his response, she was a little lost on what to say next. "…Thank you. I-"

"Do not waste anymore of your breath unless you are speaking to the monk," he curtly interrupted.

Orihime held her eyes on the General as he turned back to the corridor. Her gaze on him lingered until she heard Hacchi address the taciturn man by his name and title, bringing her focus off of her escort and back onto her friend who now was leaning forward in a respectful bow.

"Despite the circumstances that brought all of us here today, I am very grateful to you for watching over Lady Inoue," Hacchi said with sincerity. "I also want to thank you for the extra kindness and respect you had shown Lord Inoue."

"What?" Orihime said, perplexed.

"This man is responsible for having presented Lord Inoue and his swords to be consecrated," Hacchi continued. "He had also provided money to give a proper funeral and a memorial in honor of the Inoue clan."

Taking in the monk's words, Orihime snapped her eyes back on Ulquiorra who had paused his steps yet refrained from facing them. "Is this true?" she asked, her heart pounding against her chest. When he did not respond, she yelled to him. "Please answer me!"

Ulquiorra frowned. "What the monk said is accurate. And that is all you need to know."

"But you…Wait!"

The General resumed exiting out of the room, not once looking back.

With her hands tightly clenched in front of her on the tatami-matted floor, she watched him leave as a river of emotions coursed through her. Confusion was prominent since it spiraled through her mind with an onslaught of questions of what happened after that night. But something else had begun to stir within her and it started to make her feel like she was the heartless one and not the man retreating into the sunlit corridor.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Glossary<strong>:

**Sandō** – A road (approach) of either a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple.

**Tōrō **– Traditional decorative stone lanterns.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not make any profit from writing this story. I'm simply borrowing Tite Kubo's characters for my sheer enjoyment. Also, most of the historical context has been researched and taken from various books and the internet. That being said, certain artistic liberties may still apply when seen fit for the story.


	5. Chapter Five

**Empire of the Sun**

**By: Katreju**

**Chapter Five**

* * *

><p>Moonlight gleamed through the window of a bedroom.<p>

Orihime adjusted the sash around her kosode then fluffed her copper-red mane out of its elaborate up-do. As she reached for a hair comb, she heard the door open and knew it was Tatsuki returning from her bath.

"Man, do I feel great!" Tatsuki exclaimed. "I'm sure you do too, yeah?"

"Mm-hm…" Orihime quietly answered as she slowly began combing her hair.

Tatsuki blinked owlishly at her friend. She could tell that something was bothering her and had noticed the shift in her demeanor since leaving the shrine. Even though her friend spent majority of the afternoon in Hacchi's company, she highly doubted that the good-natured monk was the cause behind her somber mood.

An idea then popped into her head and one that she knew Orihime would not refuse. "Hey! Ma told me that she just made some manjū! Let's go steal a couple once you're done with your hair!"

"Sure…but...well …"

Tatsuki sighed heavily. "What's going on in your mind?"

Orihime instantly brightened up. "N-Nothing! I'm fine!"

"Orihime," Tatsuki said in an authoritative tone.

Orihime kept up her smile. "It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about-"

_General Cifer_.

But of course she would never dare say that out loud in worry of riling up Tatsuki again. Her friend was quite upset earlier when she learned that the General had discovered their location at the shrine. Needless to say, there was a heated confrontation between them in the shrine courtyard with the exception that Tatsuki did all the tongue-lashing while Ulquiorra remained indifferent to her wrath.

It took her stepping in to calm Tatsuki down and put an end to the dispute so they could peaceably head back to village. However, because of what also happened inside between the General and herself, the tension remained very high amongst everyone and the journey back to the Arisawa house had been incredibly awkward.

"You better not have zoned out on me," Tatsuki said stiffly.

Orihime quietly laughed. "I haven't! I was just wondering where my escort will be staying for the night."

The dark-haired girl scoffed. "I'm sure he won't be too far away considering you're here."

"True."

"Heh, maybe he'll catch a nasty cold from being outside all night."

Orihime sweat-dropped at her friend. "That's a bit mean, don't you think?"

"It's not like I prayed for his death," Tatsuki said, her voice and face devoid of shame. In fact, she looked quite amused.

"I guess…"

Arching an eyebrow, Tatsuki studied the girl across from her. "Don't tell me you're actually concerned over that jerk."

"I didn't say that."

"Then why do you care where he is?"

"Because I feel bad knowing that he has nowhere to stay."

"That misfortune is his fault. He helped with the attack on Tenkū, remember? Besides, what person would let an enemy sleep under the same roof?"

"You've made your point." Orihime said then placed her comb next to the bed.

_The enemy_. She needed to remember that in spite of the new information she learned today. Maybe the battle waging in her mind would cease the sooner that she did.

Frustrated, Tatsuki huffed. "I'm going to check on him, but you better feel better when I return and eat manjū with us."

Her round, honey-brown eyes widened in surprise. "Um…yes?"

Shaking her head, Tatsuki walked out of the room and toward the front of the house. She slipped on her geta then shouted out to her parents that she will return shortly before quickly shutting the door behind her. Since she saw that the General's horse was still tied to their fence, she figured he could not have gone far and decided to march westward through the village.

. . .

The reflection of the moon rippled across the watery surface as Ulquiorra lowered a wooden bucket into the well. He had come here because the water supply for his horse was getting low and needed to be refilled. And he needed a break away from the bustle of the Arisawa house before resuming his duty.

_Is this true? Please answer me!_

The words of his ward had lingered in and out of his mind all evening. Bothersome as she was, he could not fathom why the girl stayed in his thoughts, especially with the way she carried on about him with the monk. Frankly, he concluded beforehand she would hold resentment toward him, but he did not surmise how deep her antipathy went.

However, it did not matter. Her opinion was of no importance to him.

He heard someone approaching him from behind and waited for the intruder to speak their business.

"What are you doing out here, you jerk?"

Ulquiorra recognized the voice from none other than the feisty dark-haired annoyance known as 'the ward's friend'. He turned around and faced the Arisawa girl, who was standing relatively close to him with her deep-blue eyes boring into him like daggers.

"Interesting to find you here and not stalking my house. Or have you finally decided to forsake your duty and go back home? _If_ there is even such a place for you," she said.

Not taking the bait, Ulquiorra point-blankly stared at her. "What reason brought you here, Arisawa?"

"Orihime," Tatsuki said. "She's concerned about where you will be staying tonight, though I don't understand why she cares. But then again, she has such a sweet and compassionate nature so I guess it's within the lines of who she is."

"Her concern is not needed."

Her eyes narrowed. "And she doesn't need any more stress added onto her. Look, I don't know what happened at the shrine to have suddenly changed her behavior, but I get the feeling that the reason is standing right before me."

"She had been entrusted to me and had left the safety of my protection. It was within my right to pursue after her no matter how vexed you are about it."

"Okay then, let me say it differently." She felt her patience wearing thin but held her temper. "You're nothing but a walking representation of the hell Orihime is going through right now. Sure, she may appear to be fine on the outside, but she's still hurting. She hasn't been able to cope with everything that's happened because your presence constantly reminds her about it."

When he did not respond, Tatsuki cemented her fists at her hips in order to resist punching his face. "Do you any idea of what you all have done? You destroyed her happiness by taking away the most important person in the world to her! The home she grew up in will never be the same and she's going to be enslaved for the rest of her life to a tyrant who'll never care about her needs or tend to her heart!"

Ulquiorra retained his deadpan temperament. "Lord Aizen will make certain that she is well-provided for and receives all she is entitled to."

Tatsuki scoffed at him. "I believe that like I believe he gets up every morning to prance around the meadows with angels."

"Believe what you will."

She sighed out of frustration. "This was a waste of time!"

As Tatsuki sprinted back toward the village, Ulquiorra returned his attention on the well. He pulled the bucket above surface and set it on the edge to untie the rope. A cool breeze danced around him as he studied the moon's reflection in the collected water.

He then picked up the bucket, shattering the reflection inside.

. . .

Staring up at the moon, Orihime stood in front of the dining room window. She had been waiting for Tatsuki to return and started to wonder if she got lost along the way. She then heard Tatsuya yawn loudly while walking out of the kitchen and carrying a bowl of what looked to be the manjū his wife had made.

"Care for some company?" Tatsuya asked with a smile.

Orihime could not help but reciprocate the gesture. "Yes, that would be nice."

The two of them sat in the center with the bowl of manjū between them. Tatsuya encouraged Orihime to take her portion before taking his own. They blessed it together then continuously stuffed their mouths with the confectionary goodness.

"So, how early do you plan on leaving?" he asked.

"I want to leave by sunrise that way we'll have more time," she said.

"That's going to be tough on Tatsuki!" he laughed. "She's never been a morning person."

"Yes, I know," she giggled. "But she promised that she won't give me a hard time about it!"

"We shall see then." He took another bite of the dessert. "In the meantime, perhaps you can help this old man out."

Orihime giggled again. "You're not old, Tatsuya-dono! But sure, what can I help you with?"

"Well, there is a song that seems to be stuck in my head. It was about cherry blossoms and I heard some people singing it during yozakura. I quite enjoyed it, but the problem is that I can't remember the words."

"I think I might know the one you're talking about! I learned it the last time my brother and I were in Edo," Orihime said as she prepared to sing.

_Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,  
>In fields and villages<br>As far as you can see.  
>Is it a mist or clouds?<br>Fragrant in the morning sun.  
>Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,<br>Flowers in full bloom._

_Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,  
>Across the spring sky,<br>As far as you can see.  
>Is it a mist or clouds?<br>Fragrant in the air.  
>Come now, come now.<br>Let's look, at last!_

She repeated the song for him with more vigor. Her heart was in the lyrics as memories of her and Lord Inoue strung along her mind like a beautiful melody. She had smiled to the very end, but not realized her eyes had watered up and began to wipe away her tears with the palm of her hand.

Tatsuya looked on like a proud father would of his daughter. "That was truly beautiful, my lady. Thank you for sharing."

"You're welcome! You know, my brother loved it every time I'd sing for him, even when I was out of tune or messed up the words! He would always say that nothing sounded better in the world than hearing me sing!" She failed to catch some of her falling tears. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," he said softly. "Please take this time for yourself."

And she did, knowing that the opportunity would never come around again.

. . .

The fog was starting to clear by the time everyone convened outside of the Arisawa house. Contrary to her promise, Tatsuki proved to be a worthy opponent even in her sleep and refused to get out of bed. It was not until Tatsuya barged into her room and forced her to get up with several tortuous antics he'd been using since childhood when she complied.

Now the dark-haired girl stood irritated next to her mother and away from her father who was still smirking over his victory. She also made certain that she stood far away from Ulquiorra, who was preoccupied with checking the saddle and reins on his horse.

A minute later, Orihime came running out of the house in hurry. Borrowing some clothes from Tatsuki's wardrobe, she attired herself in a royal-blue kosode, black umanori with matching tabi, and waraji tied around her ankles. Her hair was braided down her back and she carried a knapsack over her shoulders. She stopped before the group then bowed toward them. "I'm so sorry that I took so long!"

"Did you get everything you need?" Tatsuki inquired with a hand placed on her hip. "We won't be able to come back."

"Yes! If not, I'm sure I can retrieve some of my things at the castle," Orihime said. "If there is anything left..." She heard the sound of grass being crushed beneath feet and turned her eyes on the massive figure approaching them before rushing over to him. "Hacchi-dono, you made it!"

"But of course," he smiled. "I have something that I want to give you."

"You have something to give me?"

Hacchi presented a wooden box wrapped in cloth and handed it to the young daimyo. "Inside are some tools to help you tend to those who need medical care. Since I cannot offer you my assistance, I hope this can make up for my absence."

She smiled at him warmly. "If it hadn't been for your guidance these past years, I wouldn't have the knowledge that I have." She hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Hacchi-dono. I will miss you…and miss being your student."

"And I will miss you dearly, my friend. May you continue to have good health and the gods bless you in your path. Remember, even when it seems like you are being tested, all will work out for the greater good."

Orihime discreetly glanced over at Ulquiorra, but caught him staring directly at her and quickly averted her eyes away him. Once she released from Hacchi from her embrace, she gave him another smile before walking over to where her best friend and her escort waited for her.

Tatsuki placed her own knapsack over her shoulders. "You ready?"

"Yes!" Orihime nodded. She turned around and bowed at the Arisawas. "Thank you so much for your hospitality! I promise that I will come back to see you when I can!"

Without hesitancy, Tatsuya and Ran kneeled on the ground and bowed toward their young master. Orihime wanted to run back over and help them both stand to their feet, but she also did not want to show ingratitude for their kindness.

"Our village will always be open to you, my lady. You'll have much on your plate once you return to Naitsu, but make sure to take care of yourself," Tatsuya said. He looked up and winked at her. "It was some advice I gave to Lord Inoue as well."

"May you all have a safe journey," Ran said.

Orihime smiled. "Thank you both so much again. Good-bye!"

She began walking a few steps forward before she was cut off by her stoic escort. She looked up at him, very confused. "Um…"

"You will be riding," Ulquiorra stated.

"Huh? What about you and Tatsuki? What will you two be doing?"

"Walking."

Her cheeks slightly puffed out. "I know that! But it isn't fair that I get to ride and you don't!"

Stone-faced, Ulquiorra persisted. "Are you suggesting the three of us should ride on top of one horse?"

"I don't know, maybe? Okay, that actually might look strange to-AH!"

Before she knew it, the samurai had picked her up from around her waist and placed her on top of the saddle. She could hear everyone chuckling over what transpired and felt her cheeks grow hot. In an attempt to regain her pride, she instantly straightened her posture and took hold of the reins. "Fine, you can walk."

"I intend to," he said.

"Don't complain to me when your feet start hurting."

"That will not happen."

Tatsuki, who was already ahead on the road, grumpily turned around. "Hey! You two can bicker and move those legs at the same time! Let's go!"

Not wasting another minute, Ulquiorra said a low command to the horse, prompting it to start walking up the road with Orihime, and quietly followed after them.

Orihime looked behind her once again to wave at her friends, who reciprocated the gesture. Her heart tensed at the sight for she would terribly miss these people, but knew that she had to press forward for their sake. Her life surely had taken a different turn from what she ever could imagine and soon it would be time for her to make that known to the world.

. . .

The perimeter around Tenkū Castle had been heavily guarded since the night of the siege. While some patrolled within the castle walls, most of the ashigaru had been assigned to the city borders and kept surveillance and account of every activity that occurred in the capital.

A young boy, with his teenaged brother laid low next to him, was perched on the roof of a desolate house and spying on a group of soldiers patrolling one of the town gates.

"What are you seeing?" the older brother asked.

"They're telling a man and a lady in strange clothes to go away right now," said the younger boy.

The teenager rolled over on his stomach and observed the scene. "Looks like they are traveling merchants."

"What are merchants?"

"People who trade and sell things while making a ton of money doing it."

"Oh."

"Anyway, it seems they aren't letting anyone come in yet. We should get back before we're caught here."

The two brothers climbed down the side of the house to the lower level rooftop. Once there, they jumped off and landed safely on the ground without anyone noticing then took off running down the alley. After they had crossed into the business district, they slowed down and aligned themselves with the crowd.

Bypassing various waves of people, they were becoming accustomed to the despondency that settled over their city. The reality of war had forced its way in and stolen everyone's innocence. No one smiled anymore, the streets had been stained with the blood and tears of the fallen, and houses were filled with people still grieving over the deceased and the shame brought onto the House of Inoue.

The traumatic memory of four nights ago left everyone on edge and now that the invaders had taken authority of their land, nothing would ever be the same again.

"Brother, something is happening over there!" the younger boy called out.

The teenager narrowed his eyes as he watched a multitude of people heading toward the center part of town. "Might be something worth looking into. Let's go see what's going on."

. . .

After an hour of walking, the traveling trio finally arrived at the capital. The majestic view they had of the city and the mountains felt like one was looking at a scenic painting.

"We're here," Tatsuki stated before her eyes widened over what happened next. "Wait, Orihime!"

Orihime had impatiently slid off the saddle and took off running toward the main city gate. She continued forward until she was stopped by two ashigaru who stood in her path with their weapons armed and ready to attack.

"Stop right there, peasant!"

"Please, you have to let me pass!" Orihime said.

"Not another word from you, missy, or I'll be forced to silence you myself!"

"But I live here! This is my home!"

One of the ashigaru decided to point his sword at her neck. "This is your last chance to scram!"

"That is enough."

Recognizing their superior's voice, the intense moment between the young daimyo and the ashigaru came to an abrupt end once Ulquiorra nonchalantly arrived on the scene.

"G-General Cifer!" The ashigaru quickly sheathed his sword and bowed right alongside his cohort. "Forgive me, sir! I had no idea that this woman was with you!"

"This woman is from the House of Inoue and is very important to Lord Aizen," he said frigidly. "If you ever raise a sword to her again, I will make certain that you never hold one for the rest of your life."

Sweating profusely, the ashigaru nodded. "M-My apologies for my rude behavior!" He looked at Orihime. "And apologies to you too, my lady."

"Now that you understand your position, see to it that my horse is cared for."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Tatsuki watched the panicked ashigaru dash over to Ulquiorra's horse. "Well that had escalated quickly."

Still frozen where she stood, Orihime felt her heart pounding rapidly and brought a hand over her chest. She then observed Ulquiorra finish giving a command to the second ashigaru who threatened her right before his condemning green eyes turned her way.

"If I had not been here, those soldiers would have been in their right to strike you down. Wait for my instruction before you decide to act foolish and do things on your own accord."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, feeling guilt over the trouble she caused.

"Lighten up, will you!" Tatsuki said to her defense. "She's just excited to be home. You know, after you kidnapped her and forced the situation we're in now."

"No, he's right," the red-head smiled assuredly at her friend. "I shouldn't have got carried away."

Tatsuki sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue. "Fine, whatever. Are you ready to move forward?"

"Yes!"

The three walked through the gate and once they were inside, Orihime searched around like it had been her first time visiting the city. She was pleased that the Naitsu army, for the most part, had left the town relatively intact. More importantly, she was content and proud to see her people working together and doing their best to press through the tragedy that had befallen them. She took that as a good sign and for the first time in days, she started feeling hopeful about the future again.

Tatsuki, on the other hand, had been busy challenging the dirty glares their group was receiving as they passed through different parts of the city and not from the soldiers, but from the residents.

Ulquiorra had caught wind of the hostility from the moment they had stepped into the first outer district. However, he did not regard the onlookers and kept his eyes forward on his ward, just in case a situation arose that could jeopardize her safety.

"You three, stop!"

The group looked toward the direction the voice came from and saw a beautiful noble woman with very long, dark brown hair leading a small crowd. Her dark eyes narrowed as she scanned the group until finally resting her eyes on the red-headed girl.

"So you're alive, Orihime." The woman said, in a tone as cool as ice.

"Yes. I'm glad to see you're alright, Miyako-dono," Orihime replied heartily.

Not returning the cheerful amity, the woman frowned then sighed. "I suppose this might be a good thing considering the circumstances."

"You _suppose_? Please, don't let us stop you from jumping around for joy." Tatsuki butted in sarcastically. "Unless showing any minuscule of affection to your cousin is considered a sin as well."

Miyako sharply eyed Tatsuki. "Your tongue is as loose as always, Arisawa. I'm surprised that it hasn't been cut out from your mouth."

Tatsuki proudly grinned. "I'll never let anyone get close enough to even try!"

"Hmm..." She turned her eyes back on her cousin. "So tell us, Orihime. How did you manage to survive?"

"I was..." Orihime side-glanced Ulquiorra then returned to the noble. "Well, I was taken prisoner then awoke two days later and found myself in Naitsu. I then had an audience with Lord Sōsuke Aizen, where we discussed the future of Tenkū."

Miyako raised an eyebrow. "Discussed the future of Tenkū?"

"Yes. Lord Aizen has graciously agreed to help us protect our land and the legacy of our clan."

"Fascinating…but I highly doubt what you say can happen. The only person who kept our vision alive and brought high honor to our ancestors was Lord Sora. But now he's..." she paused, her face resonating with melancholy.

"It doesn't have to end there!" Orihime said boldly. "I'll make sure to continue what Brother started!"

"Nonsense!" spoke one of the elders. "What authority do you think you have to take Lord Sora's place?"

"Because he had named me his heir! I am the successor to the Inoue clan!"

And like fireworks up in the sky, the crowd exploded.

"This cannot be!"

"Lord Inoue would never…!"

"We have been forsaken!"

"What's going to happen to us now?"

"I would rather die than submit under this half-breed!"

"We are cursed!"

"Silence!"

The crowd immediately quieted down and looked toward Miyako, who had calmly started walking toward Tenkū's heir.

It was hard for Orihime to read the woman's feelings, but sensed underneath the calm exterior that she was seething with anger.

"What proof do you have?" she asked.

Orihime pulled the scroll out of her knapsack and handed it to her. As Miyako unrolled the parchment and read through the lines, Ulquiorra stepped forward until he was right by Orihime's side.

"Now that your skepticism has been refuted, we are moving forward," Ulquiorra stated.

"Your guardian, I presume?" Miyako asked.

Orihime nodded. "Yes."

"Who undoubtedly serves the Daimyo of Naitsu," Miyako stated placidly, handing the scroll back to Orihime. "Tell me, what kind of bargain did you have to make to keep your inheritance?"

"He asked to me to be his wife and I accepted."

"So in the end, you had sold your body to attain power. My, you truly are _that_ woman's daughter."

"Shut up!" Tatsuki angrily intervened. "That's low even coming from you!"

"Facts are facts, Arisawa. However, I will take my leave now." She then stared intensely at Orihime and lowered her voice. "You may have always had his favor, but don't expect the same from me."

Miyako and her followers soon dispersed from the area, leaving the three of them standing alone in the center square.

Unbeknownst to them, the two brothers watched what had transpired from a distance and their eyes showed concern over the girl who was a pariah in her own home.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Glossary<strong>:

**Manjū** – Confection (sweet) made from rice, flour, buckwheat and filled (generally) with red bean paste. _Personal Opinion: All varieties taste amazing!_

"**Sakura, Sakura" **–Traditional folk song.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not make any profit from writing this story. I'm simply borrowing Tite Kubo's characters for my sheer enjoyment.


	6. Chapter Six

**Empire of the Sun**

**By: Katreju**

**Chapter Six**

* * *

><p>"Please watch your step!" The dark-haired teenager said, leading Orihime and everyone through a fenced stone-paved trail until they arrived at a house.<p>

He slid the front door open. "Mother, we're home!" He stepped in then turned around to face the group as they followed inside. "I'll go tell her that you're here," he smiled. "Please make yourselves comfortable. Yuji, help them out if needed, alright?"

The younger boy, who'd been holding onto Orihime's hand the entire time, saluted his older brother with the other. "Yes!" He then looked up at the red-head. "Come, Sis! I have something that I wanna show you! Follow me!"

"Yes, yes," Orihime laughed over Yuji's enthusiasm as he led her running down the exterior hallway of the house.

"The boy addresses her too casually," Ulquiorra stated.

Tatsuki scowled. "It's only natural for him to do so. Orihime has known him since he was small so Yuji looks up to her not only as a friend, but as part of his family. Besides, you don't hear her fussing about it so calm yourself down!"

. . .

Outside in the yard, Orihime dipped her hands into the earth then dusted them off after inspecting. "You've done a great job, Yuji! This soil is very good!"

The boy smiled in excitement. "Then I can start planting right away! I want Mama to have lots of flowers by summer! Maybe then she will smile again…"

She heard his sadness at the end and suddenly recognized how too carefree she was behaving. She had been caught up in the nostalgia of being around her dearest friends again that she had briefly forgotten the reality they were living in.

"I want to be strong and make Mama happy again. Do you think Papa would be proud of me?" he asked with unconfident sincerity.

She smiled and patted his head. "Of course he would! Never forget that you, your brother, and your mama brought so much joy and honor to your papa's life! I am sure that he's making that funny grin he always did right now!"

"Yeah!" Yuji nodded with new resolve and smiled. "I'm so glad you're back with us, Sis! I promise that from now on, I will become stronger and protect you along with Mama and Brother!"

Orihime's smile slightly faltered before she heard a soft voice formally address her from behind them. She stood up and turned around to see the wife of Gorō Ito standing next to her teenaged son in the exterior hallway.

"My lady, you're really alive…?" the woman said, her eyes brimmed with tears.

Laughing, Orihime walked over and stood proudly in front of the pair. "I'm definitely not a ghost, Emi-dono!" She took the woman's hands in her own. "See?"

"Hideki told me you survived, but I…" Tears finally fell from her eyes and she covered them with her hands. "Bless be the gods! After losing my beloved and Lord Inoue, I surely thought you were dead!"

Hideki lovingly placed his hands on his mother's shoulders. "You don't have to concern yourself anymore, Mother."

"He's right," Orihime said with assurance, drawing their attention again. "I can never replace Gorō-dono in your hearts nor will I even try to do so. But that doesn't mean I won't do everything in my power to make sure you all are provided for." She paused to gather her thoughts. "Your husband was the last standing samurai during the siege. I heard him fight valiantly for my brother's honor and our home up until his last breath and for that, I will always be indebted to him and everyone he cherished."

"My lady…" Emi murmured with her eyes wide and filled with astonishment.

"Hmm, I see. So what you're saying is I'm not needed. That I should not have any desire or take any initiative to watch over my family," Hideki said, slightly hurt.

Sensing the offense she caused, the blushing red-head waved her hands around frantically. "No, no! I guess it came out wrong! I would never try to take your place either, Hideki! What I meant was-"

Her babbling ended when she heard him start to snicker then laugh, causing her to be confused over his seemingly erratic behavior.

He then surprised her by poking her forehead. "I'm just giving you a hard time. Besides, this whole 'serious warlord' vibe doesn't suit you, Hime. I much prefer it when you're laughing and cheerful."

"Hideki..."

He gave her a fond smile. "But in all seriousness, thank you."

From a short distance, Tatsuki and Ulquiorra had watched the moment unfold between them. Orihime saw the two out of the corner of her eye and looked their way. She took heed of the strange grin that stretched across Tatsuki's face whereas Ulquiorra remained unreadable as usual.

"Is everything okay?" Orihime asked, directing the question more at her friend.

"Of course! Just came to see where everyone was at," Tatsuki replied.

"It's good to see you again, Tatsuki. Is this man next to you a friend of yours?" Emi inquired.

Tatsuki twitched.

To clear up any confusion before it escalated into a problem, Orihime laughed wildly which earned awkward stares from her friends. "Actually, General Cifer is with me! He is my chosen escort while I'm here!"

"Well, since you have been traveling all morning, I will make a meal for you all," Emi said with a hint of a smile. "I'm certain you're hungry and would like a place to rest."

"We wouldn't want to bother you! I'm sure we'll be fine!" Orihime exclaimed. Right before her stomach sold her out by grumbling like a beast. Embarrassed, she laughed nervously. "Pay that no mind!"

Tatsuki shook her head. "You're hopeless."

Ulquiorra strode forward until he was closer to Orihime. "It would be wise for you to stay and accept this woman's invitation."

"Where are you going?" Orihime asked, realizing that he did not include himself in the offer.

"It is part of my responsibility while we're in the capital to make certain everything is running orderly. I will return after I have verified that the castle and the province are being managed accordingly."

"Oh. Well then shouldn't I go with you?"

"No. You will pass out from hunger and I have no intention of carrying you around."

"I'm not even heavy!" she retorted.

"I did not say the reason had to deal with your weight, but rather why you would be an inconvenience. Wait here and do not cause any mischief while I'm gone."

As he made his leave, Orihime pressed her thumbs to her cheeks and stuck out her tongue whereas Hideki prolonged a distrustful stare at the General.

Yuji, who was now next to Tatsuki, had mimicked the older girl's annoyed expression and had his arms crossed. "I don't like that guy."

"You and me both, kid."

. . .

"Oh? General Cifer is here in the capital?"

"Yes, Commander. One of my soldiers had informed me that he had arrived some time ago."

The pink-haired samurai adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and grinned. "This is perfect! We can go over my proposal for the next phase of the plan!"

"Not to put a damper on your mood, sir, but aren't you worried why he's here?"

"Worried? Why should I be worried?"

"It's General Cifer, sir. Usually it's not a good sign if he appears unexpectedly. Plus I've heard frightening accounts about him."

"Frightening, you say?" he asked with interest, his finger tapping on the hilt of his sword.

"From the moment I joined the army, no, even before that. The General's reputation is widely known and to be respected but it has also invoked terror into people, causing many to believe that he truly is not human. It might be best-"

Before he could finish his sentence, pain shot up from his right hand and he looked down to see that it had been severed from his body. He released an excruciating scream and crumbled onto his knees. He then felt a sword pointed at the base of his neck and fearfully looked up into the face of his Commander who had a dark maniacal smile.

"It might have been best _for you_ not to underrate me. For you see, I can be frightening when I choose to be. And since I'm a strategist, the best course of action to eliminate your fear was to rid you of your functionality. That way, you are deemed useless and will never have to worry about crossing paths with me or General Cifer ever again."

Before anyone blinked, the officer's head fell on the ground with a thud, earning loud gasps from those in proximity to the gory scene.

"Someone clean this filth up!" He yelled before reverting back to his calm façade. "We wouldn't want to stain our lovely courtyard."

Two ashigaru quickly ran over and took care of the remains before leaving the area. Passing on their way out was Ulquiorra, who noticed the disassembled corpse but did not inquire about it.

The Commander, who had just finished cleaning his sword, welcomed the General's presence with a respectful bow. "I heard you were back in town! It's a pleasure to see you again, General! May I ask what brings about your return?"

"Lady Orihime Inoue had requested a visit. She seeks closure over her brother's death."

"Ah, and Lord Aizen made you tag along so she didn't run away or retaliate. Not like she could anyway. So, where is the charming little hostage?"

"She is the company of her friends."

His amber eyes widened. "That's quite the bit of trust you've given her." He then smirked mischievously. "It would seem that you're making _quite_ the acquaintance with the little cage bird."

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed considerably. "Ridiculous." He briefly paused, realizing his tone even sounded tense to himself. "Besides, she is no longer regarded as a prisoner, which is one of several matters we will be discussing over today."

"I'm all ears," He said, his voice silky and filled with keen interest. He cradled his head in his hand. "Please enlighten my mind."

. . .

Orihime hummed a lively tune as she removed the dirty bowls and tea cups off the table and balanced them in her hands. She then walked into the kitchen and passed by Tatsuki who was kneeling in front of the stove cleaning out soot.

Walking inside from the back of the house, Hideki let out an exhausted sigh and wiped the sweat off his brow. His demeanor then changed from one of weariness to alarm. "Hey! I told you that you didn't have to help out!"

As he stepped forward to grab the dishes from her, Orihime playfully backed away from him like she was performing a balancing act on a trapeze. "Like I'm really going to sit back and let you and Tatsuki do all the work!"

"It's fine, silly girl!" He kept reaching for the items, but she continued evading him. "Besides, it's not right for you to be doing a task like this!"

She blinked curiously. "Why? Because I'm a daimyo now?"

He stopped moving around and rubbed the back of his head. "Well…yes."

Orihime laughed. "Now who's the one being silly? My title doesn't mean anything in this situation! Even if I was a celestial deity that had four glowing eyes on my forehead and a pair of amazingly huge wings that could spread across the sky, I would never take advantage of someone's hospitality and not repay them for their kindness! So let me repay you by helping out anyway I can!"

She resumed humming her tune as she walked past him and knelt down in front of the wooden sink.

"You tried your best," Tatsuki smiled and winked at him. "Don't worry, I noticed."

Hideki looked at her with a scowl on his face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, we have a problem!" Orihime shouted.

Tatsuki and Hideki looked at their friend who was now standing with the water bucket upside-down in her hands.

Hideki sighed and scratched his head. "I guess the dishes will have to get washed at the river."

"That's alright! I'll have more space to work with and I get the bonus of watching the sunset!" Orihime exclaimed.

"But you can't go by yourself! It's close to getting dark outside," Tatsuki stated. "My hands are pretty messed up from the stove so why don't you take Hideki with you."

"Sounds good to me! I'll hurry and pack everything!"

As Orihime bustled around the kitchen, Hideki retained his scowl on Tatsuki who responded innocently with a shrug.

"A girl like her shouldn't be alone in the woods at night. And besides, who would refuse the company of a fine-looking…no wait it was, 'one of the most eligible men of Tenkū's noble class'."

A light blush tinted his cheeks as he crossed his arms. "I thought you were above listening to gossip."

Tatsuki arched an eyebrow. "Is that blush I see?"

He grimaced. "Shut up!"

"I'm ready!" Orihime called out.

Hideki promptly met her in the doorway then took the pouch filled with dirty dishes from her hands. "At least let me carry this until we get to the river."

"Well, it is a little heavy so thank you!" She started walking ahead while humming the same lively tune from before and Hideki could not help but shake his head and smile.

Once they had arrived and established their base at the river, Orihime placed the dishes next to the water's edge and started the washing process. She delighted in how the rays from the sunset had reflected and rippled across the water's surface, painting the mountains and sky with gold and indigo. She then inhaled the fresh, earthy scent of the air that was hinted with a fragrance of persimmon.

It all took her back to a time when she was child. When she would play with her friends until their energy gave out. Or when she had decided to sneak out the castle and come bask in the serene ambiance of the woods before anyone could track her down. Even now, despite the circumstances she faced, she felt at peace. Regardless of the potential charm Naitsu had, her heart would forever remain in Tenkū.

Orihime decided to check on her companion who had also zoned out while staring at the skyline. His dark-brown eyes were narrow and distant as if he were heavily contemplating over something. "Hey, what's on your mind?"

"…It's nothing to be concerned over."

She looked at him with a hint of playfulness. "I might have believed you if you had looked me in the eye. You don't have to be so tough and pretend, you know."

When a pained smile spread across his face, she then wondered if she said something wrong.

"Isn't that what we're all doing?" he said.

The weight of his words sunk into her veins, making her stare back at her reflection. _Is that what I've been doing? _

Hideki hesitated a moment before speaking again. "I was just thinking about how everything can change in an instant. Like when Gorō met me and my mother and created a way of life that we never expected to have. Or the time when Yuji was born into our family and I had vowed on that day that I would become someone he could look up to and always depend on. Our family had known nothing but peace and joy for years but now, in just a short few days, all of it feels like a faraway memory."

Orihime's heart tied in a knot as she watched him sit next to her and rest his arms on his knees. She understood all too well how he felt.

"When the soldiers brought his head back to the house, my mother lost her mind. She became hysterical, to the point where I thought she had completely shattered, and it wasn't long before her body caved in and fainted. Yuji, at some point, had stopped crying and tried to attack the soldiers, but I stepped in and held him back before ordering them to leave the house. At first he wasn't too happy to be around me, but eventually he allowed me to hold him until his eyes dried up. After he had calmed down and we tended to Mother, we both made a vow that we would be strong for her and do our best to live an honorable life in our father's memory."

He looked up at the sky. "It's been hard living up to this, though, and watching our enemy govern and parade around the city isn't making it easier. Believe me when I say that they are quick to use their sword at anyone who resist and challenge their authority. There have been many moments when I wanted to retaliate against them, but then I'd remember I would be breaking both of my vows to Yuji. I also feared of the condition I would leave him and my mother in if I returned home dead because of my selfishness."

"It isn't selfish to stand up and protect other people," Orihime said softly but with conviction.

He looked her straight in the eye. "My reasons are far from noble compare to yours, Hime."

"Mine?" she asked, confused.

"Like how you plan on marrying the daimyo of Naitsu."

"Oh." Orihime quietly fiddled with the bowl in front of her before dipping it into the stream. "It's really no big deal!"

He looked serious at her. "You're kidding, right?"

She smiled brightly at him. "I'm not!"

He then looked at her questioningly. "You do know what marriage entails, right?"

She pressed a finger to her chin, quizzically in thought. "Well I have never been married before, but I have a pretty good idea of what it can offer!"

Hideki blushed furiously and rebuked himself mentally for letting his mind wander. To cover his embarrassment, he quickly cleared his throat and placed his hand over his mouth. "Clearly you've thought this through."

"There wasn't anything to think about, really," she said, her voice lowering a pitch. She hugged her knees, bringing them close to her chest, and stared up at the stars that were starting to twinkle across the sky. "I know that I'll never be half the leader my brother was, but I want everyone to keep their way of life and be happy, even if I'm never accepted."

Unfortunately, Hideki understood the meaning behind her words. Not only did he witness what happened in the center district earlier, but over the years they had known each other, he had watched as the rift between her and the Inoue clan expanded. It made sense why she would come to that conclusion, however…

"Not everyone thinks that way," he smiled at her warmly. "Not Mother, not Yuji, not Tatsuki or me. You will always have us, Lady Orihime Inoue, and we will follow you until the end of this life."

Orihime could feel her eyes watering up, but blinked away her tears as she laughed and gifted him with a genuine smile of her own. "I am so lucky to have Tenkū's most attractive suitor as my friend!"

Hideki grimaced. "Hey, don't bring that up again!"

. . .

Later that night, both girls were dressed for bed and had just finished unrolling two futons in the guest room.

Orihime heard Emi greeting someone at the front door and curiously peeked out from the doorway. She saw that the visitor was an elder's wife and she was gifting Emi with a bag of rice. The scene warmed her heart and she moved away from the doorway to give them privacy.

"I take it's not the jerk, then?" Tatsuki inquired grumpily.

Orihime smiled teasingly at her friend. "I didn't think you would miss him!"

"I rather be hanged upside-down by my big toe over a pit of flaming coals!" she snapped. "Anyway, it's just that he's been gone for hours and considering the stalker that he is, that's quite a long time."

Orihime quietly nodded in agreement. Little did her best friend know, she had been concerned over Ulquiorra's extended departure and wondered over what had been preventing his return. However, since she had no control or idea how to solve that mystery, she decided to distract herself by moving forward to the next task on her mental checklist.

_Let friends know I'm alive? Check!_

_Tell clan that I'm their new lord? Check!_

_Hide remaining meal rations from General Cifer after he said I ate like a beast then questioned my humanity? Check!_

_Write a letter to- Oh wait. I didn't do that yet._

She walked out of the guest room and went to find Emi in the kitchen. "Emi-dono, may I ask for a favor?"

"You can ask me for anything," Emi smiled sweetly.

"By any chance, do you have paper I can use?"

Her face turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, but we had used up all our supply last week."

"It's fine! I'll go get some at the castle!"

"Good luck with that." Both of them saw Hideki standing in the hallway. "That place is swarming with ashigaru and it seems they are even turning it into their private headquarters."

"They can't do that!" Orihime exclaimed.

"It may be best for you to wait until your escort returns, my lady," Emi said.

_I wonder how long that'll be,_ she mused. "You're right. I guess I'll get some rest for now. Good night!"

Orihime slowly headed back to her room. While walking, she rested her chin on her hand and pondered over the problem.

_If the entire perimeter is blocked off, then I won't be able to just casually walk in. And I doubt they'll know who I am and give me a free pass, even if I ask nicely. There has to be another way for me to..._

Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind which caused her to clap her hands together and smile triumphantly all at once.

She would have to act after everyone had fallen asleep.

. . .

The moon lighted her path as she sprinted among the shadows of the woods.

Leaning against a tree, Orihime surveyed the area for ashigaru on patrol before she darted toward the castle wall. Once there, she crouched low and adjusted the hood of her cloak tightly over her face. She paused to regain her breath even though adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her feel as though she were that little girl again who pretended to be a shinobi on assignment.

She checked around to make sure no one was coming her way then proceeded to step carefully along the wall so she could blend in with the wall. Once she reached the east gate of the castle, she peeked around the corner and noticed the ashigaru guarding the entrance. She sighed out of relief seeing there were only two of them, but still she had her work cut out for her.

_Should I go for Plan One or Plan Two? _

Orihime examined the ashigaru again. Both looked young in terms of skill and age and she speculated they got the overnight shift because of it.

Plan two it was.

She started walking casually toward them.

"Hold it right there!" the ashigaru on the left asked.

Orihime stopped and looked innocently at him. "Yes?"

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Well, I decided to go for a stroll and found myself here, which is great because I've always wanted to see the castle up close!"

"This area was announced off-limits to the public!" the ashigaru on the right said. "We have to arrest you now for trespassing!"

Orihime's eyes widened from shock. "Eh? Do you really have to do that?"

The ashigaru on the left reached forward and grabbed her arm. "You need to come with me now!"

_Perfect!_ Orihime thought, before slamming her fist into his stomach. After he toppled over, she brought her elbow down on the back of his neck and watched him fall to the ground.

She then heard the other ashigaru curse her and saw him charging toward her. She honed in on her target and managed to dodge his attack. In that free moment, her fist striked the side of his face before raising her knee to deliver the final blow into his chest.

Once she was certain both were down for the count, she released the breath that she had been holding and threw her fist up toward the sky with a shout of victory. She then quieted herself and continued making her way onto castle-grounds.

As she traveled up the steps, haunting memories of the night Tenkū had been attacked juxtaposed with the memories of her childhood started playing through her mind. It was suddenly becoming difficult for her to breathe and it felt her heart was trying to twist itself into a knot. But she advised herself that now was not the time for her to fall apart and pressed forward by focusing on her task.

When she arrived in the courtyard, Orihime took cover behind a stone pagoda next to the pond and now witnessed what Hideki had been talking about earlier. After counting the number of ashigaru guarding the castle, she became overwhelmed by the unlikelihood of her getting into the entrance hall. But then she reminded herself that she had made it this far and refused to go back to the house without the items she needed.

Her resolve intact, she decided the easiest way to get inside would be to head toward the west wing rather than the east and rose to her feet. Taking a deep breath, she made a dash for it before she could be spotted and successfully made it inside the entrance hall.

She hastily ran down the corridor then up a second flight of stairs until she heard voices comprised of laughing and chatter coming from ahead. Immediately she slid open the shoji on her right then shut it closed and waited for the group of men to pass.

After she heard them walk by, she let out a sigh of relief until she turned around and her heart stopped at the sight of two incandescent eyes staring right back at her.

"I…"

_I'm done for._

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not make any profit from writing this story. I'm simply borrowing Tite Kubo's characters for my sheer enjoyment.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Empire of the Sun**

**By: Katreju**

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

><p>A trickle of sweat ran down the side of her face as Orihime stared at the shadow standing in the dim corner of the room.<p>

_This is not good! Oh, why didn't I pick the door on the left? _

As soon as she finished recuperating from what she titled as "the world's greatest tactic of how to petrify someone to near-death and look absolutely paranormal while doing it", she took a step back and pivoted on her heel to ready herself for the execution of Plan Three:

Run like your hakama caught on fire!

Considering she had just evaded the group of men who were no doubt still lingering down the hallway, the cloaked red-head decided to make her escape through the other shoji across the room. But before she could reach the door, the stranger seized her arm then forcefully pushed her against the wall. A shot of pain darted up her back from impact as she closed her eyes and awaited her inevitable doom.

"What are you doing here?"

Orihime recognized that voice; that deep, composed and critical voice that could send chills down one's spine and urge them to curl into a ball on the ground...

Oh, how relieved she was to hear it!

Her round eyes promptly opened, now staring upward into his piercing eyes, and right then and there she knew she would not be able to explain her way out of the hole she had dug herself in.

"Answer me." Ulquiorra commanded, maintaining his hard grip on her arm.

"I had to come to get some things," Orihime answered.

"And you could not wait until I was with you?"

"Shouldn't my presence here answer your question?" She laughed to make light of the mood, but quickly caught on that it only exasperated him further then quieted down and waited for him to speak.

Ulquiorra faintly sighed then released her arm before returning to his interrogation. "How were you able to get inside?"

"I came through the east gate."

"The castle is heavily guarded. There is no justification for why you would have not been seen."

"You're right. There were some ashigaru along the way, but I took them out."

What she was about to see would forever be branded in her memory.

Ulquiorra raised one eyebrow, albeit skeptically, at her and she had to repress a snort that was compelled on coming out. "…Really?"

Orihime nodded with glee. "Yes."

Strangely enough, he found himself inclined to believe her, but that did not take away the unease he felt. In fact, it worsened it. "If this is true, I am afraid to even ask where you hid the bodies."

Her finger repeatedly scratched her cheek. "Um, I kind of left them in front of the gate."

"You are proving to be more troublesome by the day," he stated emptily.

"Hey! I didn't kill them if _that's_ what you're thinking! I just knocked them out using my shinobi skills."

"Shinobi skills?"

"Well, it's more like self-defense but substituting _shinobi_ makes it sound fiercer!"

This girl was revealing to be a lunatic as well. Troublesome, perhaps even strangely fascinating, but definitely a lunatic. He made a mental note to be certain he mentioned all three on his unassigned peer assessment when he returned to Naitsu. "Where did you learn these techniques?"

"Tatsuki taught me! I started learning from her a few years ago after we became friends."

"Why am I not the least bit surprised?"

"Huh?" she blinked.

Orihime watched him walk over to the shoji and slide it open before he turned his eyes back on her. "I will accompany you from this point on, but you are free to search around for what you need." He noticed the clueless stare on her face and became somewhat annoyed by it. "What is it?"

"I guess I'm a little surprised that you're allowing me to do this. That's all," she said.

"What would be the point of stopping you?" he said candidly. "You will be defiant as usual and attempt to repeat your offense all over again."

"You make me sound like a criminal," she frowned.

Ulquiorra glared. "Would you care for me to go over your history?"

"No! Because then we'll be standing here awhile and I'd rather we be doing something productive, like find the items I need."

"Then lead the way."

"Gladly!" Orihime puffed up and walked over to where he stood before they left the room together. For a while it was silent between them as they trailed down the dark corridors of the castle. However, being silent could only last so long if Orihime is around.

"Do you always keep your hands in your pockets?" she asked, staring at the side profile of her escort. "I've noticed that you do that a lot."

"It's not a habit I am consciously aware of," Ulquiorra replied.

"Eh? But you even have pockets sewn into your hakama!"

Ulquiorra eyed at her suspiciously. "Are you implying that you retain your attention on my hips?"

Orihime's face began to burn. "No! Besides, you make it pretty obvious that you have pockets!"

"Your shame is written all over your face."

"Because I'm displeased that you would even think that of me! Like really, stop making me out to be a pervert!"

Ulquiorra said nothing more while Orihime grumbled under her breath. _So much for small talk_, she thought regretfully. And she still wanted to ask him about another matter.

_This man is the one who presented Lord Inoue and his swords to be consecrated__. _

Hacchi's words had been in the back of her mind since their meeting. She had not overlooked what the General did for her brother, even though she believed he would rather her feigned ignorance. It was that there had not been any opportunities for her to talk about it and she had rather their conversation be private even though she thought the world of Tatsuki.

Maybe now was the time for her to bring it up…_if_ she could only get over how flustered she still was over their previous conversation!

Her attention was then drawn to the shoji on her left and her steps came to a standstill.

Ulquiorra ceased as well. "This is the master chamber," he said.

"Yes, I know," she replied solemnly. Her heart quivered as to why this room was especially significant. She stared at the shoji for another minute before decisively sliding it open.

And then it hit her.

The powerful stench of rotten blood, decay and old soil instantly circled around her and she had been able to quickly locate its source. All around the chamber were foot-stained trails that led to an enormous carmine stain in the center of the tatami-matted floor.

This was now the memorial ground of Lord Inoue's murder. This was where she had held her brother for the last time and watched his spirit depart from this world.

Orihime could feel herself starting to fade in and out, but not before she examined the stain further. She then spotted the multitude of insects and vermin feasting over what remained on the floor and felt a wave of nausea come onto her. Suppressing the urge to retch on the floor, she covered her nose and mouth with her hand and tore her eyes away from the gruesome sight.

She now faced the other part of the chamber and became aware of the full damage the room had taken. All of the doors had been kicked in or punctured, many important documents had been left scattered around the levelled platform, the decorative scrolls that used to be on the walls had either been torn apart or stolen, and the cherry-wood desk – her brother's beloved cherry-wood desk that he delighted in using for writing, reading, socializing with visitors, or enjoying a cup of tea - had been reduced to shards.

It was all too much for her to bear.

Ulquiorra had long been accustomed to death. His position as a samurai had required him to be of witness and partake in the darkest recesses of the human mind. He had seen this same scene over and over again and that, along with other methods, have made him desensitized to the art of warfare, no matter how sordid or repugnant it can be. Therefore, he was not the least bit bothered about the sight before him.

However, he did not expect his ward to feel the same and wondered if he should have tried to avert her away from the chamber. But had he done that, would she not have been hindered in the future? Yes, she would have continued on being naïve and sheltered from this one harsh truth, but she was a daimyo now and it was inevitable for her to face more situations like this during her reign. The wide-eyed idealism she seemed to be raised in no longer belonged in her world. She would not succeed very long if it did.

"General Cifer…"

Her soft voice was barely audible, but loud enough to break him out of his train of thought. He stared down at her and observed the hot tears pooling in her eyes.

"I need some air…" she pleaded, her focus still on the room ahead. "Please help me."

He did not comprehend what she meant by 'helping her', but the moment he saw her attempt to walk back into the corridor with less than stable footing, his arm instinctively wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "Come."

He felt her shift most of her weight on him and made certain that she remained steady in his grasp.

Neither of them saying another word, Ulquiorra led them away from the master chamber.

. . .

A decent amount of time had passed when the two stepped into a small garden pavilion overlooking the pond. Ulquiorra assisted Orihime in sitting on the wooden bench provided and stayed standing in front of her, waiting for his next instruction.

However, the young daimyo seemed like she was in a trance. Her hands were tightly gripping the legs of her umanori and her solemn eyes were downward like she was studying the ground.

Ulquiorra was gradually becoming annoyed by this display of weakness, yet he could not help being a little concerned over her welfare. The girl was seriously testing his endurance. If she fainted right now, then he vowed to never leave her unattended again and she would not be permitted to reenter the castle.

"I will get you some water," he said.

Orihime silently nodded and he took that as confirmation to leave.

A few minutes later, Ulquiorra returned with a cup in his hands and passed it to her. Orihime chugged down the cool liquid and let out a sigh once she was finished. She then placed the cup next to her and set her eyes on the General. Eyes that were like tamed fire.

"Why did you do it?" she said, her voice even and firm. "You were the one who orchestrated the whole thing, right? Why? What reason could you have for attacking my homeland the way you did? Was it because you had something against us?"

"I hold no ill toward you, your brother or your kin," Ulquiorra stated impassively. "My actions were solely based on doing the will of my master."

Orihime stared disbelievingly at him. "So you're okay with indiscriminately killing people?"

"If it is necessary, then yes."

She slowly lowered her eyes to where her hands were and realized how tense she was. "I don't get it," she murmured. "How can you feel nothing at all?"

_Orihime._

Her brother's voice echoed through her mind. And she knew why. For it brought back a memory of one summer day when she was on the brink of adolescence, standing with him in the training fields and observing a few young samurai sparring with each other.

_Orihime, these men have not only pledged their swords but also their lives. For a samurai, devoting his time, mind and skill to his master is not viewed as enslavement but rather as an honor bestowed upon him by the gods. His servient nature is unwavering. He does not question the authority or the decisions of whom he serves. Which is why, even if he is faithful to someone who is not our ally, you must remember to show him respect for everything he represents and the ordeals he goes through to earn his prestige._

Yet how were they supposed to know those words would one day even apply to his murderer? It did not seem fair and part of her told herself that it would be justified and easier to stay at odds with the taciturn man in front of her. But another part of her argued that an attitude like that would not bring healing and peace within her heart. Nor would it allow for her brother's spirit to rest.

Furthermore, her interaction with the General over the past few days - in spite of his unceasing cut-and-dry temperament and consistent apathy toward her sorrow – had made her aware of this fact: she did not hate him nor wished him any harm.

Even if it proved to be difficult, from here on, she knew which path she had to follow.

"Since you said you were only obeying his order, I guess then it was Aizen who provided for the funeral services and memorial," Orihime said, sounding slightly disappointed.

Ulquiorra kept his hard gaze on her. "No. He is not responsible for that."

Orihime looked up and met his gaze. "So then Hacchi-dono was right." She waited for his reply, but it never came. She then rose to her feet. "I don't understand. I mean, I was very shocked to learn that you would do something like that. Please don't get me wrong, though…I am very grateful for what you did. If Aizen had forced me to stay in Naitsu, then the funeral rites still would have happened without me. I guess…what I'm trying to ask is…I don't understand why you would donate your money to provide such a blessing to your enemy."

"This matter does not require much speculation. The House of Inoue had been decimated by our hands and those who were left alive and unharmed were of no influential importance," Ulquiorra replied sharply. He then turned his gaze away from hers. "Enemy or not, Lord Sora Inoue was the last direct descendant. It is befitting for a family of high caliber to be given honor, especially now that their bloodline has ended."

There was a heavy pause between them before Ulquiorra turned his eyes back on hers. "You are making no effort to deny it."

"Nor do I intend to," Orihime said resolutely.

Their silence returned once again until Orihime clasped her hands together and gently sighed.

"My mother's name was Kaiyo Inoue. She was the wife of Lord Fuka Inoue and the great-niece of Lord Katashi Ueda, the leader of the Ueda clan. Since it was a time of great turbulence in our country, their marriage had been arranged as a merger for the Inoue to help the Ueda preserve their land in exchange for their service as retainers of Tenkū.

"However, unlike most arranged marriages, the foundation of this one was a bit different. Lord Fuka was already in love with my mother, which is why he took the opportunity to help her people and to make a good impression on Lord Katashi so he would give her away to be his wife.

"There was just one problem. Even though she married him, my mother never returned Lord Fuka's love. She played the role of being a daimyo's wife very well and even bore him a son, but her heart had never been his to claim. In fact, I was told that the only person she was kind and devoted to was my brother. But that all changed the year they traveled south to visit one of Lord Fuka's retainers.

"My mother met a Dutch merchant by the name of Jakob while she and her maidservants were on an outing in town. They grew very fond of each other and over time, their meetings started to become more frequent and peculiar to those around them. When the time came for my mother to return to Tenkū, against her better judgment, she had allowed her lover to follow her back to the capital. From there, everything spiraled down for the worst.

"She soon discovered that she was pregnant again, only this time it was not her husband's child. Lord Fuka and my brother were delighted to hear of the pregnancy and diligently started preparing for the child's arrival. My mother, on the other hand, was thrilled to be carrying the child of the man she was deeply in love with, but now it had created a greater problem for them.

"When my mother went to tell her lover the news, nothing had prepared her for his response. Jakob had revealed that he was returning to his country before Japan closed off its borders from the outside world. Desperate not to be separated from him, my mother begged him to take her with him so they can raise their child and live out their lives together. However, Jakob rejected her words, declaring that she and her child would have no place in his society or his marriage. He left the next day without saying goodbye to her. After having coldly turned his back on her, my mother despaired for months over the loss of her beloved. Everyone thought she was suffering from an illness, which had greatly worried my brother and Lord Fuka. That is, until the day she gave birth.

"Everyone immediately responded to the child's distinctive foreign features. Some were bewildered while most were outraged. At this time, my mother revealed the whole truth about her affair, but because her heart had already turned to ice, she felt no remorse for the pain she caused. Not even for my brother or her husband.

"Distressed over his beloved's infidelity, Lord Fuka's mind started to collapse and he was kept in bed for a good number of days until he was deemed well again. During that time, my brother stood in for his father and took measures to ensure that the clan would not fall into disarray. However, word of Lady Inoue's illicit affair spreaded and soon he was up to arm's length in requests for her death. My brother did his best to quell the growing wrath of the clan, but it gave him no time to grieve for the state his parents were in or their crumbling marriage.

"One night, when he was walking around the castle-grounds with his newborn sibling, he entered into his mother's chamber only to discover she was gone. He found a letter written in her handwriting that stated she wanted nothing more to do with either clan and had left to escape the imprisonment she felt all these years that came from being Lady of the House of Inoue. This was the moment that crushed my brother, mostly because he had could no longer protect her and that he would never see her again.

"As for Lord Fuka, after he had learned of her abandonment, he sent out a decree for the extermination of the Ueda clan. Unfortunately, that decision would later haunt him for the rest of his life.

"After Tenkū had some time to recuperate from the scandal, my brother had announced that he was adopting his mother's child as his own. Since the elders firmly believed that the child would further harm the reputation of the Inoue and that their successor, who was barely sixteen years of age, would ultimately collapse under the sins of his parents, they vehemently objected to his decision. But their words had fallen on deaf ears. He had already bonded with the child and decided to name her after the heroine of one of his favorite stories…"

. . .

"'_Orihime_'? What kind of silly name is that?" yelled a noble's son roughly four years older than her.

His taunt encouraged snickering from the other children around his family's courtyard as they circled around to watch.

Her cheeks red from embarrassment, the seven-year-old Orihime balled her fists in front of her chest and timidly spoke out. "I-It's not silly! My brother gave it to me! It means 'weaving princess'!"

Another boy with a mean scowl approached her. "Huh? You don't look like a princess to me!"

"Yeah!" said an older and taller girl, smirking from behind her. "A princess wouldn't have ugly hair like this!" She proceeded to continuously yank on Orihime's long hair, causing the red-headed girl to cry out in pain as the other children laugh out of amusement.

"Please let go!" Orihime pleaded as she brought her hands up over the girl's to remove them from her aching scalp.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled before angrily releasing her hands off Orihime, but not without pushing the younger girl to the dusty ground.

"Don't even think of putting a curse on her, kōmō-jin!" shouted a little girl from the circle.

The noble's son's ears peaked with interest. "Kōmō-jin?"

The little girl became meek. "It's what I heard my parents call her..."

"And they are right," he smiled vilely. "We now have the perfect name to call _this_," he pointed at Orihime, "girl who is not one of us: 'Kōmō-gaki'!"

The children laughed then in unison began chanting the name over and over.

Orihime hung her head low and silently remained sitting on the ground.

. . .

_Kōmō-jin, as you probably already know, is a general term coined by the populace when the Dutch first arrived on our shores. But for me, being called that was a constant reminder that I was distinctly different and would never fit in with everyone else. _

_Up until that day before I went to my cousin Seiichi's house, I was pretty much overlooked by everyone. No one went out of their way to speak to me or acknowledge me whenever I was in passing or an audience. The anger people still felt toward my mother and the shame she had brought to the clan had become my birthright. One that I had often prayed the gods would take away from me. _

_Instead, I had also become the prime target for courtyard bullying and ridicule by my peers. _

_Of course, there were three people who made my early years memorable in a good way. I had my loving older brother who never withheld anything from me, a kind and burly samurai by the name of Gorō Ito who was not only a fun companion but also a great meal partner, and a remarkable woman named Kagerou who had served my mother since they were young and had volunteered to continue her service as my maidservant and teacher. Eventually, Gorō-dono had moved out of the castle after securing a house for himself and Kagerou had passed away from a prolonged illness. _

_It was during this season that I had felt very lonely, but then I would remind myself of all the different ways everyone had shown their support of me and reaffirmed myself that I wasn't truly alone. _

_In regards to what happened with Lord Fuka, he had passed on his title as daimyo to my brother when I was around two years of age. I was told that he didn't see himself worthy anymore to rule __Tenkū__ nor positively represent the Inoue clan in the Shogunate. So he retired and, with my brother's permission, relocated to stay in the furthermost chamber of the castle so that he would be secluded away from everyone. _

_And from me._

. . .

"Brother! Brother, where are you?" Orihime shouted down a sunlit corridor.

The nine-year-old had been searching for the Lord of Tenkū for the last half hour and had been unable to locate his whereabouts. Her search led her wandering around the southern wing, a restricted area of the castle for only those who were authorized by the daimyo could enter.

She may not have had his permission, but the red-headed girl figured her brother would not be too mad at this one little act of rebellion. And if asked, she could always tell him that she was justified since he was late showing up for their planned trip into town.

She passed by an open shoji then backtracked her steps and stared inside the room. There was an aged man with patches of graying-brown hair sitting in the middle of the chamber. He was staring at the sunbeam coming through the window while holding a ceramic bell-shaped bottle in his right hand. He looked very fatigued and sullen, as if his soul had departed and left his body in this position.

Orihime gingerly stepped into the room and walked over until she was standing by his side. "Excuse me, sir?"

A pungent smell radiated off him like the one inside of the bottle he held. It was an unfamiliar smell to her and she wondered what kind of strange drink he was consuming. She began to study him and noticed the blue veins running through his glossy skin.

"Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" she asked.

The older man finally turned his attention on her and for some reason she shivered when his eyes met hers. "If you would be so kind, child, as to find me a cover. It's a bit cold in here."

How was it cold?_ It is the middle of summer_, she thought enquiringly.

Still, she did ask him if there was something she could do for him so she ran over to the closet, found a blanket to cover him with then ran back over and arranged it over his shoulders.

"Thank you," he said. "My, that is a pretty yukata you're wearing."

"Thank you!" Orihime said, twirling around to show off. "My brother bought it for me this past spring! I wanted to wear it because he promised that we would go shopping today," her voice dropped, "but I can't find him."

"Do not worry. Your brother sounds like he loves you very much," the man said solemnly. "If he said he will take you then believe in him."

Feeling a tinge of guilt, Orihime nodded. "Yes, sir."

He took another gulp of his drink then rested the bottle on his lap. "Tell me, child, how is it that you have permission to venture around the castle without supervision?"

She lightly blushed. "Um…well it's because I live here. You see, I'm an Inoue."

"Really?" He gently smiled. "Well, that is something we have in common even though your red hair is quite peculiar."

Her heart welled up with excitement. She intertwined her hands together behind her back. "So does this mean we're related?"

He nodded.

"This is great! Oh!" She placed her arms on each side and leaned forward in a bow. "It's an honor to meet you! My name is Orihime Inoue!"

The man hesitated before announcing his identity. "I…am Fuka Inoue."

"So you're Lord Fuka?"

"I was," he stated before taking another drink.

Her eyes widened out of delight. "That means you're Brother's father!"

"I'm your Brother's father?" he asked perplexed.

"I'm the little sister of your son, Lord Sora Inoue!"

His face turned pale. "You…you are…_that_ child?"

Orihime nodded. "Yes!"

The ceramic bottle fell and shattered on the floor.

Startled, Orihime took a step back. "Sir, are you okay?"

A malevolent look shadowed over Fuka's features as he stood to his feet and stared down at the young girl. He violently seized her arm, making Orihime cry out in pain as she felt his nails digging into her skin.

"Why do you insult me by coming here?" he asked. "It's dishonorable enough that you're still alive, but coming into _my_ presence to seek amusement out of my pathetic existence?"

"It's not like that!" Orihime said. "I didn't come to laugh at you."

Fuka forcefully threw her on the ground. "Your looks favor that red weasel, but your spirit is definitely of the viper's." He picked up a jagged shard from the broken bottle, not caring that his hand now cut and bled in the process. "It would be better if I ended your line of deceit right now."

Tears welling in her eyes, Orihime had wanted to run but her legs did not heed her internal command. She watched as the older man brought his arm down, pointing directly for her forehead.

And in an instance it was over.

Fuka's attack had been foiled by the firm strength Sora held on his arm as the daimyo now stood in between his father and little sister. His steely dark-brown eyes bore into the older man's, rebuking him for the murderous act he was about to commit.

Astounded, Fuka murmured. "Sora..."

"Stop this, Father," Sora commanded.

The older man's face twisted in rage. "You promised me...you promised me that you would keep that abomination away from me!"

In seconds, the two guards that had accompanied Sora rushed into the room. "My lord!"

"Stand back and protect Orihime!" Sora commanded.

At that moment, both guards noticed the girl's presence and saw her fearful eyes watching the violent bout between their masters. This all must have started with her, they concluded.

"You went back on your vow! You have betrayed me!" Fuka screamed.

"I went to get you water. That is all I have done," Sora replied calmly.

Drops of blood fell onto the floor, causing everyone to recognize that at some point the shard had managed to puncture Sora's arm.

"Brother, you're hurt!" Orihime shouted in fear, standing to her feet.

Horrified of the daimyo's wound, Fuka started murmuring. "I...I didn't mean...I didn't mean to…"

"I know, Father. Please let go," Sora said.

Tears streamed down Fuka's face as he released his weapon to the floor and began moaning into Sora's chest. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, my son. I'm sorry for everything. Please…please forgive me."

Orihime took a step forward, hoping she could reach over and examine Sora's arm. "Brother…"

"Why did you disobey me?" Sora said frigidly, keeping his back on her. "Didn't I tell you that you are not allowed to come here?"

"I…I just wanted to find you," Orihime said meekly. This was the first time he had taken such a tone with her and she was not certain how to react. Suddenly the room felt cold.

"You need to leave. I will speak to you later."

"Y-Yes…"

Not once did he turn around to face her. Putting on a brave face, she held back her tears as she ran past the guards and exited the room. The faster she ran down the hallway, the deeper her heart descended into her chest.

. . .

Orihime had been sitting in a tree, watching several orange-tinted clouds move toward the sunset. It had been hours since she left the castle and the part of the woods was one of her favorite spots to dwell and meditate in. The young girl sighed and wrapped her arms tighter around her knees.

What a mess she had made.

She did not mean to upset Lord Fuka nor had she intended for her brother to have gotten hurt over trying to fix her mistake. But that is exactly what happened. Although Lord Fuka's disregard of her had hurt, she was mostly upset at herself for the pain she continued to cause on other people. Was there was any way she could right the wrongs she committed?

Figuring that she should be heading back, Orihime climbed down the tree then safely jumped off and landed on the ground. She ran down the dirt road for some time before a group of older girls blocked her path, forcing her to stop in the middle of the road.

"We heard that you caused some trouble at the castle," said the eldest, and seemingly their leader.

"What happened to Lord Inoue? Why was he hurt?" demanded one of the girls.

Orihime looked remorsefully at the ground. "He was trying to protect me."

"Ha! As he always does!" one of them sneered.

"Why don't you start taking responsibility for your own problems?" said another girl before taking a partial hold of Orihime's hair. "Your biggest one being your disgusting looking hair!"

Orihime frowned sadly. "If that's all it would take for no one to get hurt by me ever again, I would gladly give up my hair."

The group of girls quietly looked amongst each other, their faces radiated with delight.

"Well then. How would you like if we helped you just this once?" asked the leader.

Before she had time to answer, Orihime was being dragged off by two of the girls. Nevertheless, she cooperated with her escorts and sat on the boulder they led her to. She then watched the other girls pick up some jagged stones off the ground and hold them in their hands like tools. They then walked over to where she sat and stood on each side of her.

The leader smiled. "Try not to move."

_You have beautiful hair, Orihime. It's such a warm and wonderful color. _

Orihime ignored her brother's words as she felt the stones begin to roughly saw through her long strands.

. . .

Miyako patiently watched the physician finish securing the bandage wrapped around Lord Sora's arm.

"You've been a great help," Sora smiled.

"It was my upmost pleasure! Is there anything else I can do for you, my lord?" the physician asked.

"No, thank you. Please allow one of my soldiers to escort you home."

The physician leaned over in a bow. "Thank you most kindly. Please get some good rest, my lord."

He then grabbed his medical bag, stood to his feet and followed the soldier out of the room.

Sora turned his smile onto his cousin. "You didn't have to stay here. After all, it is getting rather late."

"I am aware of that," Miyako said defensively. "And need I remind you that I'm fully capable of taking care of myself."

He suddenly laughed heartily, earning him a scowl from the dark-brown haired beauty.

"Are you mocking me, my lord?"

"No, I am not! Believe me, I've known ever since we were children that you're a force to be reckoned with." The daimyo calmed his laughter but maintained his spirited demeanor. "Anyway, I do appreciate your company. Would you like me to escort you back to your estate or will that earn me another evil glare?"

Miyako slightly blushed and pouted her lips. "Of course not."

"Great! I'll go find Orihime and see if she wants to come along with us. I'm sure we can all use some fresh air after today's event."

"You're far too easy on that girl," she frowned.

"I wouldn't say that." Sora carefully stood to his feet. "No one makes the effort to show her any kindness so I have to make sure that I'm doubling my efforts."

Miyako sighed and stood to her feet. It was pointless to debate with him on this matter. "If that is what you think is best."

They walked out of the room and down the corridor. As they made their way down the staircase in the lobby hall, Sora's eyes widened in horror as he discerned the young child smiling at him from the bottom of the steps. Her hair was cropped very short and he had almost mistaken her for young boy.

"Good evening, Brother!" Orihime said.

Sora immediately rushed down the stairs until he was able to kneel down in front of the girl. "Orihime, what happened to your hair?"

She shook her head. "It's fine! I wanted to do this."

"But why?" he asked sadly, placing both his hands on her shoulders.

_Because I don't want to a burden to you or anyone anymore,_ she thought. "I thought it would be a great change! Besides, having long hair feels like I'm always wearing a blanket on my head since it's so hot outside!"

"But why so short?"

She would have told him that her accomplices had cut her hair lopsided in some areas and in order for her to look somewhat decent, she evened out her strands until this was final result. That is what she would have told him if she wanted to honest with him.

"I guess I got a little carried away," Orihime replied sheepishly.

Sora brought her into his embrace, making Orihime smile from contentment. That was until she felt tears seeping into her shoulder.

"Next time, just ask for my permission," he said softly. "Can you do that for me?"

Her heart squeezed in her chest as she nodded. "Yes. I promise."

Sora tightened his embrace and Orihime returned his hug in kind while Miyako quietly stared at the two from atop the stairs.

. . .

_Later that year, before the end of Kannazuki, Lord Fuka had passed away. It was a very hard time for my brother and the members of our clan. I remember that year being the coldest winter we had and it felt like the world had lost its color. _

_In order to regain perspective and focus for our lives, my brother and I traveled to Edo and stayed at our family's estate for six months. It was a well-deserved break and we were both able to draw support from friends who lived in the capital. Although it had been hard watching my brother grieve, I remember it being one of the best times of my life since our relationship grew closer through it. And for a while, I felt like I could give back all the love and comfort he had shown me my whole life._

_I also started growing out my hair again, but I never let it pass my ears. I still received weird looks from others, but I think it was combination of my hair being red and short. My brother never imposed his opinion on me, but I could tell at times he wished that I would grow my hair long again. However, the memories of ridicule and the issues that occurred from my hair always stopped me from doing so. I was afraid and truthfully, I didn't want to deal with it anymore. _

_By early summer, we returned to_ _Tenkū__. My brother was in better spirits and had new aspirations for our clan and homeland. After witnessing many of his goals come into fruition, I was very proud of him and happy that he had found his zeal for life again. _

_As for me, well, I tried to stay out of way. Granted I didn't keep myself locked up in the castle, but I tried to avoid luring public attention to myself. Although I was never mean to anyone, you could say that I was turning into a recluse, until one day…_

_. . ._

The eleven-year old Orihime was surrounded by a band of boys close to her age.

As of late, one of the many life lessons she had been learning is that the art of bullying was able to transcend all economic classes. Therefore, even if her pursuers were at the bottom of social hierarchy, it did not stop them from cornering her in an alley near the shopping district of town.

On the paved ground in front of her laid her bag of groceries that had been ripped away from her hands. She rushed over to grab it, but one of the bullies snatched it away before she could. She heard the others snickering and glared at them before moving her eyes back onto their leader.

"I haven't done anything to you! Please let me go," Orihime said.

"Not a chance, brat!" their leader smirked. "Unless you give us all the money you have."

Orihime shrunk back. "I won't!" She then felt a foot kick her from behind and abruptly fell face forward on the ground. The one who kicked her then placed his foot on her back to hold her down.

"If you won't give it to us willingly, we'll just take it from you ourselves."

In a flash, a rock flew across the air and hit the leader squarely in the back of the head. He cursed out loud and rubbed the sore spot. "What gives?"

"I did!" shouted a rough yet feminine voice. "And if you annoy me again, I will aim the next one at your nuts!"

"Who the hell are you?" demanded one of the bullies.

Orihime slowly lifted her face up from ground and looked to where the unfamiliar voice came. There, casually sitting on a wall with an arm resting over her knee, was a short-haired girl wearing a cotton navy-blue kimono with brown hakama and waraji on her feet.

…_I met Tatsuki. _

* * *

><p><span><strong>Glossary<strong>:

**Kōmō-jin (-gaki) - **Japanese term for the Dutch, which literally meant 'red-haired person'. The suffix '-gaki' can translate to 'brat' or 'punk'.

**Kannazuki **- Old name for the month of October. Also known as the 'Month of No Gods'/'Month when there are no gods'.

**Just Some Extra Info:**

**In the canon-verse, Orihime had learned karate from Tatsuki. **True story. Sources: Manga Chapter 119. Anime Episode 42.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not make any profit from writing this story. I'm simply borrowing Tite Kubo's characters for my sheer enjoyment.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Empire of the Sun**

**By: Katreju**

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

><p>The peculiar black-haired girl jumped off of the wall and landed roughly on her feet.<p>

"How about I tell you in a way you understand me! If you don't leave this girl alone, I'll send all of you back to your hideout hurtin'!" she said.

Still lying on the ground, Orihime was certainly confused over this twist of fate. No one, aside from her brother, had _ever_ stood up on her behalf before. Yet she only stared in awe of the girl who exuded confidence and a grin that oddly reminded her of a fox.

The leader smirked cockily. "I think we have ourselves a new target."

"Heh," The girl started cracking her knuckles. "You idiots won't be able to land one finger on me!"

In a blink of an eye, she charged forward and proceeded to kick and punch her opponents out one by one. She then side kicked the bully who held Orihime to the ground right in his face then watched him fall hard onto the pavement. Her deep-blue eyes had briefly met with Orihime's honey-brown ones before they turned onto the dumbstruck leader. She had intentionally saved him for last so she could earn the satisfaction of seeing the bewildered look on his face.

"I'll say it again," she smirked. "Either leave or I'll send you back cryin'!"

Balling his hands, the boy's face tensed at her remark. He then shouted in anger and charged toward her. However, she had swiftly dodged his fist then pivoted and slammed her knee right in between his legs. He yelped excruciatingly before collapsing to the ground with his hands covering his aching injury.

She shrugged. "Can't say I didn't warn you!" She went over to pick up the grocery bag then walked back to help Orihime stand to her feet. "Doesn't look like you have any injuries! C'mon, we should get you back to Lord Inoue!"

Orihime's eyes widened. "You…know who I am?"

The girl winked. "It's kind of obvious since no one else has cool-looking hair like yours!"

Orihime had no idea what to say.

"C'mon! Let's go before these jerks get up and I have to beat them to ground again!"

The peculiar girl held onto Orihime's wrist then led her running down the alley.

"By the way," she shouted, "I am Tatsuki of the Arisawa clan!"

"Um..." the red-head said meekly before raising her voice. "I am Orihime of the Inoue clan!"

Tatsuki laughed. "I already know that! But it's great to finally meet you!"

A smile had formed its way across Orihime's face as she followed behind her seemingly new friend.

. . .

Sora took a sip of his tea then gently placed the cup on the table. "Then it's decided!" he smiled. "I am truly honored to have your support."

The dark-haired man sitting across from him smiled as well and leaned forward in a bow. "My clan and I are honored to be in your service, Lord Inoue."

Suddenly both men heard a stampede rushing into the restaurant and looked over to see the tomboy and the daimyo's sister heading their way. Both girls looked exhausted yet gleeful as they stopped in front of the table to regain their breath.

Tatsuki grinned at her father. "Told you I'd find her, Pa!"

"You have to forgive my daughter, Lady Inoue," Tatsuya chuckled. "She is not one for formal introductions."

"I-It's okay!" Orihime stuttered. "She helped me out and is very nice to me so..."

Sora smiled warmly. "Would you both like to sit with us?"

The girls nodded and took off their shoes before stepping up into the seating area. Tatsuki sat next to her father whereas Orihime sat next to her brother and across from her.

"Oh yeah," Tatsuki said, handing over the grocery bag to Orihime, "you might want this back."

"Thank you!" Orihime said. "Would you like some of what I bought?"

"What is it?"

Her honey-brown eyes brightened with excitement. "Well I have some pears, bread, red bean paste and nori! I usually like to spread the paste onto a piece of bread then add the nori and some pear slices and afterward put another piece of bread on top!"

Tatsuki slowly nodded. "Uh-huh…"

"Would you like me to make you one?"

"Eh, how about you just give me half of yours?"

"Deal!"

. . .

_From that day on, Tatsuki and I had become the best of friends. _

_We were an inseparable pair whenever she and her family were in town. Since she grew up in a dojo under her father, she had taught me how to fight so I would know how to protect myself when she wasn't around. With my newly acquired skills, I'm proud to say that no one had ever bullied me again. _

_Come to think of it, I think she once said I'm the equivalent of being a junior master but I am not too sure about that…_

_Anyway! She was my first true friend and because of her, I had decided to grow my hair long again in honor of how her friendship changed me. I was no longer discouraged about what others thought of my red hair and came to appreciate its uniqueness and what it now represented for me: my faith in Tatsuki._

_This, of course, made my brother very happy and further reminded me that I always had his acceptance even when people tried to convince him that I was a bad seed._

_It wasn't too long after I had met Tatsuki that I met my second closest friend and his family. Little did I know of the connection we would have prior to our meeting. _

. . .

"Hey, you!"

Orihime looked down from the tree she was lounging on and saw a dark-haired boy glaring at her with his dark-brown eyes.

"It's not proper for girls to be climbing trees!" he shouted.

Orihime tilted her head. "I have never heard of that rule!"

The boy sighed. "You risk showing indecency because you're wearing a kimono!"

"That's ridiculous!" she retorted, her eyebrows furrowed together. "You can't even see my legs!"

"I'm sure people can when you're going up and down, which is why I said it was improper in the first place!"

Orihime proceeded to climb down branch by branch until she was able to jump off the tree and land safely in front of her accuser. The two children stared at each other for a moment before she spoke again. "Are you happy now?"

The boy shrugged. "It's not like I care or anything. I'm only telling you since you seem to come from a good family and you don't want to bring shame on them."

She tilted her head and slightly smiled. "I kind of already do that."

He gave her an incredulous look. "That's not something you should be proud of!"

Orihime playfully giggled before noticing the bag over his left shoulder. "Did you just come from the market?"

"Huh?" He blinked out of his short-lived trance. "Oh, yeah...my mother wanted me to go buy fruit for some guests we're having today."

She leaned over and stared intently at the bag. "What kind of fruit did you get?"

"Just some plums and oranges."

"Ah..."

The boy gazed intently at the girl who seemed to be quite taken with his grocery bag and felt an awkward feeling come over him. To put a stop to it, he reached his hand into the bag and pulled out the object of her desire.

"Here," he said as he moved his arm forward to hand her a perfectly round, unblemished plum.

"Wow! Are you sure?" Orihime asked excitedly. She watched him nod and gently took the fruit from his hand. "Thank you so much! May I ask your name?"

"It's Hideki."

"Well, Hideki," she smiled brightly, "Someday I will repay the gift you gave me!"

Hideki lightly blushed. "Don't think too much about it, alright? Anyway, I have to go. And remember what I said before."

Orihime watched him depart down the road then happily took a bite of the plum.

. . .

"Big Brother, you home!" said a four-year old boy running down the corridor then into his brother.

Hideki smiled and rubbed his little brother's head. "Have you been good for Mother and Father?"

Yuji nodded. "Yes, I been good!"

"Great! Because I brought you something."

Out from the bag, Hideki revealed a large plum for the little boy's anticipating eyes. The child quickly grabbed it from his hand and began devouring the fruit. Hideki smiled and rubbed his head again before walking down the corridor and into the kitchen. Inside, he saw his mother assisting Gorō with the dinner preparations. Both of them were laughing over something and it pleased him to see her so happy.

"Ah, you're back!" Gorō exclaimed with a grin. "Was there enough money for what we needed?"

"More than enough, Sir," Hideki responded. "I still have a lot left."

"Excellent! Go ahead and keep the rest!"

The ten-year old gawked at the man. "But Sir-"

"Hideki," Emi gently chimed in, "you know it's useless to negotiate with him. Please take it."

Backing down, Hideki straightened his posture and leaned forward in bow. "Thank you."

Gorō laughed heartily. "There is no need to bow, son! You're my family!"

Hideki hesitantly smiled. "I know."

"Anyway, I'm sure our guests will love what you picked out, especially Little One! She loves all kinds of fruit!"

Hideki set the bag near the water basin. "Are these people that important?"

"Very!" Gorō grinned. "They are my dearest friends."

"Which is why we all must look presentable," Emi said.

"Well, then I better get Yuji cleaned up. I'm sure he managed to get plum juice all over him," Hideki said.

. . .

About an hour later, a knock was heard from the front entrance. Gorō quickly slid the shoji open and beamed when he saw Lord Sora Inoue and Lady Orihime Inoue standing in front of him.

"It's been a long time, my friend," Sora smiled.

Gorō kneeled on the floor and bowed. "Too long, my lord! Welcome to my home!" He felt small arms wrap around his neck then stared into the cheerful brown eyes of the little girl who embraced him.

"I've missed you, Gorō-dono!" Orihime said. "Your beard has gotten so long!"

Gorō laughed then lifted Orihime up as he stood to his feet. "I've missed your company as well, Little One! I made a whole lot of food just for you! I hope you still have a big appetite!"

The eleven-year old grinned. "Most definitely!"

Sora shook his head. "Some things never change."

"Come! I'll show you both around and introduce you to my family!" Gorō said.

The samurai carried Orihime as he led the Inoue siblings down the hallway. They arrived in dining room and witnessed his wife tidying up the table setting. She looked up and slightly jumped out of her skin before quickly kneeling in a bow.

"My apologies!" Emi said. "It's an honor to be in your company, my lord and lady!"

"I'm honored to be invited into your home," Sora smiled. "Thank you for your dedication. Not just for our visit, but to Gorō-dono as well."

Emi smiled as her cheeks blushed pink. "It's my greatest blessing, my lord."

Orihime whispered in Gorō's ear. "She's very pretty."

Gorō grinned and whispered back. "You should tell her after dinner. I'm sure you will get to see her lovely smile."

The sound of running footsteps came up from behind them. Orihime looked over Gorō's broad shoulder and saw two boys dressed in their very best kimonos and hakama trying to catch their breath. A smile made its way across her face when she recognized the older boy.

"Hideki, it's you!" she said.

Hideki's eyes widened as he gawked at the red-headed girl being carried by his step-father. "I don't believe it..."

. . .

The cool evening breeze brushed against Orihime and Hideki who were now sitting outside on the exterior corridor. Since the adults were enjoying a private conversation, the children had decided to spend their time playing games in the yard until they had run out of energy.

Orihime smiled down and gently ran her fingers through the hair of sleeping child on her lap. Yuji was the first to knockout and had decided he would rather fall asleep on his new friend than his brother. It was evident since their meal that the child had taken a great liking to her and spoiled her with his undivided attention all evening. She could not remember the last time she was showered with so much affection from someone other than her brother, but she was certainly appreciative of it and currently in the best of moods.

"Why didn't you tell me you were from the Inoue?" Hideki asked, breaking the silence between them.

Orihime looked at him and realized that he was not asking her out of anger, but sensed he was perhaps a little embarrassed from earlier. "I didn't think that was important. Besides, I kind of thought you already knew who I was."

Hideki's mouth flat-lined. "All I knew was that you were a noble."

"How?"

"Because no one below your class can afford the kind of kimonos you wear."

"Oh..." she paused and sadly looked away from him. "Are you mad at me for that?"

"No, I'm not," he said assuredly. "I'm kind of glad that you and your brother are not like those other snobs. They have never been kind to me or my mother."

"I don't understand. Your mother is married to Gorō-dono so isn't she accepted?"

"My mother wasn't always married to Gorō and she never had a husband before him. She was kicked of her line of work because she could no longer be of service to the head of house."

She leaned in closer to him. "How come?"

Hideki stared at her point blankly. "Because she could not serve men and be pregnant with me."

Orihime allowed his words to sink in, causing her to slightly scoot away from him. "I'm sorry."

He scooted closer to her. "Why are you sorry?"

"Because I feel like I asked you something too personal," she said, her features filled with guilt.

He frowned. "I wouldn't have told you if I thought I couldn't trust you." He paused. "Plus…what you said earlier about bringing shame to your family…makes me believe that you might be the only person in this city who could understand me."

Orihime felt warmth in her chest and smiled at him. "Because we're both outcasts?"

He returned her smile. "Yeah."

"I think we should form our own clan!" she exclaimed. "We can ask Yuji once he wakes up to join us! Oh! And I'll introduce you to Tatsuki! She's not an outcast where she comes from, but I'm sure she won't mind joining us!"

Hideki once again gave her an incredulous look. "I don't see how this is going to work out…"

She balled her fist and winked at him. "Trust me! It will!"

. . .

_I regret to inform you that we failed at forming our own clan. In fact, I think our idea got shut down once rumor got out that I was proposing a rebellion against my brother. Not sure how that happened, but everything got sorted out in the end._

_Eventually, I did introduce Tatsuki to the Itos and they became fast friends. Well…Yuji and Tatsuki did. I think it took a while for her and Hideki to warm up to each other, but in the end they accepted each other._

_We were all so close that every moment I had with them brought so much happiness into my life. I thought I had finally attained true freedom in the people I cherished more than anything in the world._

_Until one day, I overheard a conversation at the castle…_

. . .

Dark rainclouds were forming across the sky and had created a shadow over the capital.

Humming a song she had created during her calligraphy lesson, Orihime happily skipped along the puddles made from last night's storm, careful not to splash her sandaled feet into the pools of water. Her activity came to an end when she felt a sugegasa placed on top of her head and turned around to see the daimyo of Tenkū smiling down on her.

"In case it starts raining again," Sora said, "you always have to be prepared, Orihime."

The girl nodded with a cheerful grin. "Thank you!"

However, her happy countenance faded as Sora covered his mouth and released a violent fit of coughs, causing her to step forward and reach for his loose hand.

"You're sick!" she exclaimed.

Sora softly looked into her worry-filled eyes. "It's nothing to be concerned about."

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "Yes it is! You shouldn't be out here like this! I'm taking you back to your room!"

Sora followed behind the young girl leading him by the hand. "And here I thought I was the daimyo," he chuckled. "Perhaps I should pass my position onto you and settle somewhere else. Maybe I'll go to the countryside and open a tea shop..."

Orihime pouted her lips. "You're being silly, Brother! You're the only one who can be our daimyo! You know it, I know it, and the whole country knows it!"

"I thank you for your confidence in me, but I am far from being the most qualified, Orihime."

She shot at him a disapproving glare. "I don't believe that. Not at all."

Accepting her words, Sora gently squeezed his little sister's hand and continued following her lead.

Minutes later, they entered into his private chamber. Orihime was glad to see Sora's bed had remained unrolled on the floor and rushed over to tidy up the sheets and blanket.

"Where are your guards?" she asked.

"I sent them on a task." He released a cough as he lowered himself to sit on the floor next to the bed. "They will be returning shortly."

"Then I will stay with you until they come back." She saw him about to respond and quickly cut him off. "And no, you can't convince me that I am going to get sick by staying here or that I would have more fun playing outside."

The daimyo raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you get so feisty?"

Orihime flashed him a toothy grin. A knock was heard and the Inoue siblings looked toward the door to see Sora's guards, each standing alongside Miyako and a member from the elder council. Miyako and the elder man bowed toward their lord before stepping into the room.

"I see that you're feeling somewhat better," Miyako said, keeping a sharp eye on Orihime.

"Not exactly," Sora said. "Which is why I'm grateful that both of you were willing to come here on such short notice."

"I beg your pardon, my lord, but is _everyone_ going to stay in for this meeting?" the elder asked.

Orihime knew his inquiry was directed at her and respectfully stood to her feet. "Brother, if you like, I can go ask one of the cooks to make you okayu! I'm sure you'll feel better once you had some!"

At first Sora was taken aback by the sudden change of topic, but gave her a knowing smile afterward. "Well, I am a little hungry. Be sure to include extra nori and gari for me."

The red-headed girl nodded then bowed toward the individuals standing near the doorway before making her leave from the chamber.

Once she was out of sight, Sora had dropped his smile and grimaced at the elder council member.

. . .

About an hour later, Orihime carefully ran down the corridor carrying a tray of okayu. _I didn't expect it to take this long! I hope Brother's stomach isn't eating itself! _

"No, I believe you are purposely trying _not_ to understand what I'm saying!"

Hearing her brother's heightened voice, Orihime stopped and planted herself behind the shoji where she could not be seen.

"Again, I will not allow innocent people to suffer just so we can keep our resources here in the capital." he continued.

"Lord Sora, Sato-dono wants what's best for Tenkū just like you do. But you have to consider what may best for the greater good…even if that means several lives are to be risked," Miyako said.

Sora's face tensed. "I refuse to go through with your council."

"You're letting your feelings cloud your judgment!" Sato interjected then sighed. "I should not be surprised. This is no different from how you handled the situation regarding your father."

"I do not see a connection," he said defensively.

"The connection is that you are refusing to see the reality of a grave situation, just like when you allowed Lord Fuka to live out his days and die in such a dishonorable way. Or even when you took that cursed half-breed in as your own child."

He heatedly glared at the elder council member. "Enough."

"You still even fail to acknowledge that _she_ is the reason for accelerating his untimely death. If she hadn't intruded into his chambers, or yet, if she had never been conceived through that adulterous and ungrateful wretch, Lord Fuka would be alive now and the honor of the Inoue clan would have never been tarnished or made into mockery by the other clans."

Orihime stiffened her stance yet her fingers started trembling around the tray and her throat suddenly felt dry.

"Say what you want you about my shortcomings, but refrain yourself from speaking another word about my sister," Sora said, perturbed by his relative's words.

"You cannot deny what I am saying is truth!" Sato exclaimed angrily. "For years we all had to sit back and watch you coddle that child, trying to make her fit into our family. But it will _not_ happen. She is dangerous to you and to everyone she comes across. Remind yourself of everything that has happened because of that girl. She is a destroyer of lives, Lord Sora, and eventually she will destroy yours too."

The daimyo of Tenkū slammed the palm of his hand on the matted floor. "Silence your tongue before you find yourself without one!"

His threat had startled everyone in the room. Never before had anyone seen him lose his temper, especially not Orihime who had realized then and there that his out-of-character outburst was brought on by only one reason. Her.

Straightening her posture, she feigned a smile and quickly stepped into the room. "Brother, your meal is ready! I'm sorry it took so long!"

The silence was heavy in the room until Sora stood to his feet and walked over to where she stood. He then caressed the side of her cheek fondly.

"It's alright, Orihime. Thank you for seeing to my dinner," Sora said. "How about you retire for the evening? I'll come and visit you later."

The eleven-year old quietly nodded and allowed him to take the tray from her hands. She then glanced at her cousin Miyako, who had kept a sharp eye on her, then the council member who refused to acknowledge her presence. She then looked up at the two guards near the doorway. "Please make sure my brother gets rest and is seen by a physician in the morning."

"Yes, my lady," both guards responded with a bow.

Orihime walked away from the room, but not without giving one weak smile to Sora who responded in kind.

_We're both good at acting. At least that is something we share in our blood_.

And then fear hit her.

What if he had been acting in front of her this whole time? What if he had decided to take heed to the elder's words? Take heed to what everyone had been saying for years? The idea that her brother might someday think the worst of her and no longer want her in his life started to fester in her heart.

And so she ran, until she was safely in her personal chamber. Here she would be able to reaffirm her worth and remind herself that her brother and her friends would always stand by her. That she was loved for who she was and that her soul was not created into this world to destroy the lives of people.

However, even though it was hard for her to admit it, she had already brought pain and misfortune on Sora's life. If he had never taken her in, if he had just given her away or left her to die as an infant, then he would not have had to suffer. Lord Fuka would be alive and maybe he still would have ruled as daimyo. Maybe he would have found love again since her mother denied him that in the cruelest way possible. Maybe her brother would have had a normal life and settled down with a wife he loved and their children.

She then thought of Tatsuki, Hideki and their families. All of them were good people who she loved just as much as her brother. But would her bond with them bring curses upon their lives as well? It was painful enough for what she has done to Sora and the Inoue clan, but she could not bear to live with herself if anything happened to her friends because of her.

Suddenly, she ran over to her closet, pulled out a knapsack then rushed over to her dresser and picked out a few articles of clothing before stuffing them into the bag. Her mind raced for her to get out of there and go somewhere far away. Far away where she could not hurt the people she loved any longer and give them the chance to have a happy and peaceful life.

On her dresser stood the karakuri puppet Sora gave her on her eighth birthday. She remembered that she had been very happy to receive the doll which resulted in her not putting it down for weeks and even giving it a name: Enraku.

She gently picked it up and wrapped it inside one of her kimonos for safeguarding.

_This will be the only gift I take with me, Brother. I don't deserve anything else you've given me._

After she tied the knapsack closed, she looked around her room to make sure she did not forget any essential items. She heard the rain start to sprinkle outside then grabbed her sugegasa to place on her head. Since she was already dressed in a simple kimono and hakama, she slipped on a pair of zōri then shut the shoji and made her escape away from the castle.

. . .

The air was cold, dark and damp around her.

Orihime trudged her feet through the mud of the once-solid dirt road. Her tabi and the edges of her hakama were becoming soiled in brown and she could feel a sneeze wanting to come out as she rubbed her arms to keep warm.

She then stared up at the moon peeking eerily through the clouds and branches of the trees. How long had she been walking? It must have been two hours, at least. A part of her wished she had taken her horse to prevent the discomfort she felt right now, but she then reminded herself that she decided not to take anything else from Sora.

She leaned against a maple tree for a well-needed break, her body exhausted from walking. She blankly stared at the rainfall that resumed again and attempted to create a game out of counting each raindrop that fell onto the ground. Once she had counted around ten thousand six hundred and forty, she ended her game and focused on her thoughts, her heart aching with melancholy.

_I guess for the rain, it has no limits of where it can fall. It has an eternal connection with heaven that brings life and purity to the earth._

"Sometimes, I wish I could be like the rain…" she murmured.

"ORIHIME!"

Her eyes widening, the bellowed voice of Lord Inoue startled the girl out of her thoughts and caused her to turn around and see him swiftly approaching her on his horse. Sora brought in the reins of his horse, forcing it to come to a stop, then jumped off the animal and ran over to her. Once she was within his reach, he kneeled down and crushed her in his embrace.

"Thank the gods you're alright!" Sora said. When she did not say anything, he loosened his grip and held her at arm's length, his dark-brown eyes filled with worry and confusion. "Orihime, what are you doing out here? It's not safe for you to be walking around on your own at night."

Orihime avoided his eyes and stared at the ground. "I wanted to get away from the city."

"Tenkū is your home. Why would you want to leave?"

"Because if I don't…if I don't leave you and everyone, more bad things will happen," She paused. "And I don't want that for any of you!"

"That's ridiculous! Nothing horrible has come from you being in my life!"

"Then why do the elders always want to challenge your authority?" Orihime shouted. "How come people always look at you with pity every time you're seen with me? How come you're always weighted down with issues that are about me because I'm ridiculed and unaccepted by everyone?"

"Listen, Orihime," He softly rubbed her shoulders. "Maybe we didn't have it easy, but we always had each other to push forward! I would never trade you for anything in this world!"

Heavy tears fell from her eyes. "You don't understand! You've sacrificed way too much for me!"

"Please, Orihime-"

"Lord Fuka is dead and all because of me! If I had just listened to you and never went into his room, he wouldn't have gotten upset and risked his health! You would still have your father if it weren't for me…if I hadn't been born, you both would have been happy and not have a dirty half-breed ruin your lives!"

Sora gently shook her. "Please listen to me! Father died because he _refused_ to live! He allowed what our mother did corrupt his soul. He sought his reality in alcohol and it eventually poisoned his blood! _That's_ what killed him, not you!"

Orihime sobbed.

Sora tucked a wet strand of her hair behind her ear. "I never found fault in you for anything. Orihime, you were the one that kept me going, especially during our time in Edo. Because of you, I want to make positive changes for not only Tenkū, but our country. You are my inspiration to become a better person."

"But…"

"If you go-"

His words were interrupted by several harsh coughs as he heaved over and clutched his chest.

Panicking, Orihime reached forward and steadied him with her hands. "Brother? Brother!"

Sora fainted and collapsed in her arms. Orihime stared down at his pale face and noticed how flushed his cheeks had become.

_We always had each other to push forward!_

A few tears escaped her eyes as she wiped away the drenched bangs that clung to his face. "Because you had never looked after yourself…you were always taking care of me…"

As she stood to her feet, she lifted Sora onto her back then attempted to carry him over to his horse. The first couple of steps were challenging on her body before finally she tripped and fell onto the earth, though making sure she received most of the impact and not her brother. Frustrated over her weakness, she clenched her fingers and lifted her dirtied face up from the mud. Her brother needed to get out of this rain so his illness would not spread any further. In that moment, she realized that his life and future depended on her.

Her brow furrowed together. "You can do this…You _have_ to do this!"

Fierce resolve burning in her heart, she stood to her feet then secured Sora over her shoulders again.

_I won't let any harm come to you. I will protect you…now and always!_

She took a full step forward and could feel and hear the slosh of mud and water in between her toes as her feet moved firmly down the dark road.

. . .

The first thing Sora awoken to was the bright-orange glow of morning. He then shifted his eyes onto his happily awake sister who was sitting right next to his bed with a tray.

"Good morning!" Orihime smiled. "I brought you breakfast along with some medicine the physician wants you to take. I hope you don't mind, but I smashed some of the herbs into the okayu so you can take it while you eat!"

Sora's face softened out of relief. "You're still here…"

"Of course! After all," her voice mellowing a pitch, "we have to keep pushing each other forward, right?"

He reached forward and took her hand in his. "Thank you."

Orihime gave him a lopsided smile. "I'm sorry about what I did. I promise that I'll never run away again. I know that my place is here."

Sora smiled warmly. "All is forgiven."

. . .

_While my brother had some weeks to rest and better his health, I had tried to figure out what I could do to become stronger._

_I can tell you that it was challenging trying to change the perception I had of myself, but I knew I had to try. Not only had my lack of confidence hurt my brother, it had been a heavy weight I carried around all my life._

_Yet I can say that the bond between us was stronger than it ever was before…_

. . .

Fighting with every strand that came out of her up-do, Orihime looked at her reflection in the mirror and tried to fix her intricate hairstyle. She readjusted the tama and kushi adorned in the center of her thick mane and beamed with relief that her hair decided to cooperate with her…until it collapsed into a mess around her. She irritably blew the strands off her face and heard Sora's laughter echo from the doorway.

"It's not funny!" she pouted.

"Sorry, sorry!" Sora chuckled and stepped inside her room. "Is the birthday girl just about ready for her celebration?"

"No! The birthday girl is having a bad hair day _and_ it had to be on her birthday!"

"Don't be upset, Orihime! Here, I have an early present that I want to give you!"

Orihime looked at the cube-shaped box in his hand. "What is it?"

"Why don't you open it and see?"

She took the box out of his hand and began uncovering the material until she exposed two bright-blue hibiscus-shaped hair ornaments. Her eyes and mouth widened in awe. "They're so beautiful! And they're the same shape as the Inoue family crest!"

"Yes, I had them made just for you."

Her heart overwhelmed with joy, Orihime jumped over and embraced him around his waist. "I promise that I will wear them every day! Thank you, Brother…"

The Daimyo of Tenkū then gently took the hair ornaments out of the box and began to tuck one on each side of her hairline. "Perfect. Now, does the birthday girl _still_ need time to fix her hair and continue to make her friends wait?"

Orihime gleefully shook her head. "Nope! I'm ready to go!"

"Then its best that we leave," he smiled.

She gave him a cheeky grin. "Only if you carry me on your back like you used to!"

Sora looked at her skeptically. "Hey, I thought you had told me that you were no longer a child."

"I did, _but_ I will always be your little sister! And you'll always be my big brother who lifts me up!"

His eyes filled with tenderness. "Until my very last breath…"

The Inoue siblings took ahold of each other's hand then merrily walked out of the room to go celebrate Orihime's special day with their friends.

. . .

The midnight air crisped around Ulquiorra as he watched his ward trace and stare forlornly at the two hairpins clipped to her collar. She had remained in this state shortly after she had ended her tale. When he had voiced his insinuation about her bloodline, he did not expect her to entrust him with intimate details about her life.

Nevertheless, her eloquent manner of speech and becoming maturity proved that she was not as obtuse as she led people to believe. Nor was she weak.

He moved past her, keeping his eyes focused on the moonlit pond ahead. "I did not ask for you to give an account of your past."

Orihime's brow twitched and she immediately turned around so her eyes bore into Ulquiorra's back. Really? That was all he could say after she had practically bared her soul to him? "Well, too bad! You had just been given a front row look into my heart!"

"An experience I'm certain you have not withheld from others."

She pursed her lips. "Even so, I refuse to miss out on an opportunity to connect with someone! I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if I shut off my heart from people."

An impenetrable silence thickened around them, making the young daimyo wonder if she should break it.

"…Anyway, I think I'm ready to go back inside," she said.

"You are aware there are more sights within that could undoubtedly upset you," he responded flatly.

Orihime became slightly chipper over his subtle concern. "If that's the case, then you'll just have carry me back to the house!"

The General faced her, unamused. "If I have to carry you, it will be done from around your neck."

"But it would still get the job done, right?"

Ulquiorra slightly raised his brow as he watched her walk out of the pavilion and toward the castle. In that moment, he made his decision to get her confirmed as a lunatic once they were back in Naitsu.

. . .

The Daimyo of Tenkū and the General of Naitsu arrived at the front yard of the Ito house, each carrying a bag filled with the items she needed. Earlier she had made it a point to Ulquiorra that she rather they keep her friends in the dark over her impromptu trip to the castle and that they needed to be extra quiet when going inside in order not to wake anyone. Ulquiorra had then reminded her that _she_ was the one who lacked the grace for keeping balanced footing or her mouth shut, which had earned him a swift smack on the back from the bag she carried.

"We made it. Thank you for helping me," she said, before gently taking the larger bag from him. She hesitated briefly before speaking again. "Do you have somewhere to stay?

"You do not have to concern yourself over that," he said. He then sensed her apprehension and felt like he needed to continue. "I already have shelter provided for. I will be staying at an inn near the castle."

Her countenance was somewhat downcast. "Oh…okay."

"There is one thing I ask you to tell me."

Her eyes lifted again to meet his. "Yes?"

"You did not mention your connection to the monk before in your story. Why did he give you a medicine box back in the village?"

Orihime blinked owlishly then raised her fingers to her lips and snickered. "Oh that! Well, I met Hacchi-dono at the shrine when I was fourteen years old. Since I had shown an interest in learning, he began training me in the ways of healing and medicine. In fact, at one point I thought I would try to become a physician…but circumstances have changed all that. However, I am greatly indebted to him for the knowledge I have. I'm sure it will be useful down the road."

"I see."

"Can I ask you something now?"

Ulquiorra waited.

"Actually, it's more of a request than a question…but I want the soldiers to repair the major damages in the castle then relocate their headquarters and I would like this to be done as quickly as possible. They are dishonoring an important symbol to my people and turning it into a command base will not encourage good relations between us and Naitsu."

Impenetrable silence returned again, but this time the General was the first to break it.

"Very well," he said. "I will see to what can be done."

He turned around and began walking back down the fenced trail leading away from the house. Orihime waited for him to fade into the night before opening the shoji and stepping into the house.

Once she had successfully made it into her room without waking anyone, she quietly placed her bags on the floor then lit the oil lamp on a small table set in a corner. She then placed herself on the matted floor and arranged the stack of paper, a brush and a small jar of ink from one of her bags.

After taking a moment to put her thoughts together, she started to write.

* * *

><p><em>To Our Most Esteemed Tairō of Our Most Illustrious Shogun Yamamoto ~<em>

_From Orihime Inoue of Tenkū ~_

_I'm sorry that I haven't written you in a long time, but I hope you have been well and have taken some time to enjoy a cup of tea and watch the cherry blossoms bloom in the capital._

_I come to you with grave news. I very much wish that what I'm about to say wasn't true, but I regret to inform you that Lord Sora Inoue, Our Noble and Respected Daimyo of Tenkū and Faithful Leader of the Inoue clan, has passed into the afterlife and is awaiting to cross over into the White Jade Pavilion…_

* * *

><p><span><strong>Glossary<strong>:

**Sugegasa - **A cone-shaped straw hat.

**Okayu – **Rice porridge.

**Gari – **Pickled ginger.

**Karakuri Puppet (or Karakuri Ningyō) **–Roughly translates to 'mechanized puppet'. This type of doll was generally made from the 17th century until the 19th century.

**Tama – **A ball-shaped hair ornament used in traditional Japanese hairstyles.

**Kushi – **A comb used as an ornament in traditional Japanese hairstyles.

**Tairō – **High-ranking official in the government. Translates as 'Great Elder'.

**Just Some Extra Info:**

The Dan ranking system was not used for martial arts until 1883 by Kanō Jigorō. Since the year doesn't align with the era of this story, you can understand why I didn't allow Orihime to tell Ulquiorra her skill level as numeric title. In the canon, however, Orihime did tell Uryū Ishida she was considered to be _Shodan_ (or First-Level Black Belt). Source: Manga Chapter 119. Anime Episode 42.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not make any profit from writing this story. I'm simply borrowing Tite Kubo's characters for my sheer enjoyment.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Empire of the Sun**

**By: Katreju**

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

><p>In all his years of service, this would mark the first time General Ulquiorra Cifer attended a shonanoka ceremony for those slain by his sword. Earlier at the inn, he had attired himself in a hunter-green haori and kimono collared with a charcoal haneri that matched his hakama and tabi. Now, he had stood waiting underneath the shade of a tree in front of the Ito residence, expecting his ward and her friends to come out at any moment given that the sun was already high in the sky.<p>

His foresight was correct when he heard the sound of the shoji slide open and turned his emerald eyes on the copper-haired beauty stepping into the sunlight and toward him. Gone were the commoner clothes she had been wearing the past few days in exchange for a finely-made mofuku detailed with five kamon symbolizing the Inoue clan. Although she carried a steady but tender smile, Ulquiorra was able to perceive in her eyes the sensitivity of what this day meant to her and the citizens of Tenkū.

"It's a beautiful morning, isn't it!" she said. "Did you get enough rest? It's going to be a long day, you know."

"I am prepared," he said then lifted his eyes onto her decorative up-do. "You are wearing your hairpins today."

Orihime nodded and instinctively touched the one near her left ear. "Yes. I think I might wear them like this for a while…"

Their discussion came to a halt by the appearance of Hideki and Yuji who were also formally dressed in their kuro-montsuki. Both sons stood alongside their mother who also wore her mofuku. Ulquiorra picked up on the fact that her red-stained eyes had been staring at him bitterly, indicating that she had evidently been informed of his role in her husband's demise.

Refusing to contend in a silent battle with the grieving widow, his focus shifted onto the now close proximity her eldest son had acquired next to Orihime.

"You don't have to go through this alone, Hime," Hideki said. "You can come with us, if you wish."

"That is unnecessary," Ulquiorra said composedly. "I will be accompanying her for the rest of the afternoon."

Irritated by his intrusion, Hideki glared at Ulquiorra. "I highly doubt you'll be any source of comfort for her. Considering that you're the reason for why this is even happening in the first place."

"Hideki, please…" Orihime murmured.

His hands balled at his hips. "I should put you in the ground myself."

The General icily stared at him. "If you want to give your mother another reason to grieve today, then you are permitted to exhibit your inanity in front of her."

"T-That won't be necessary!" Orihime nervously intervened. She turned around and smiled brightly at her friend. "I appreciate your concern, Hideki, but General Cifer _is_ my escort. And yes, he isn't the _nicest_ person around, but I want to respect his authority and let him carry out his duty! I'll be fine, I promise!"

Hideki scowled as he turned his eyes away from her. "If that's what you want."

"Yes," she nodded. "Oh, that reminds me! If you see Tatsuki, please tell her that I'll meet her at the temple. I have some errands to do before I head over."

"I will."

"Don't take too long, Sis!" Yuji said.

"I won't!" Orihime smiled at him until Hideki pushed on her forehead with his index finger. "Hey, what was that for?" she pouted, touching the spot where he had pressed.

"Nothing," Hideki teased solemnly. "It's just that I won't be able to pester you like this after today."

Her honey-brown eyes widened from the reality of his words. _That's right. Once today is over, I have to return to Naitsu. I will no longer be in the company of the Itos and Tatsuki._

"You are wasting your time standing here," Ulquiorra stated, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She turned and faced him. "R-Right! I will see you all there!"

Orihime quickly waved at her friends before rushing to catch up with her already departing escort. After a minute of contemplatively staring at his back, she decided to speak her mind.

"Hey, I know that Hideki was a little hot-headed back there, but you could have ignored him and not push the tension even further."

"I find it difficult to believe had I remained unresponsive then your friend's ire toward me would have subsided."

"Maybe not, but you usually overlook that behavior. You have each time with Tatsuki."

"Because she is a barking dog in need of discipline, only I refuse to be the one to execute that task."

"Did you just call my best friend a dog?"

"He, on the other hand," he continued, "along with the death of his step-father, has a deeper reason for bearing his grudge."

"Why do you say that?"

"The boy has romantic affections toward you."

"WHAT?"

. . .

"...And that's why your assessment of our relationship is wrong!" Orihime announced proudly, causing onlookers in the market district to stare at the pair in question.

Ulquiorra briefly looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Your long and tedious explanation has done nothing to persuade me any differently."

"That's because you're stubborn!" she asserted, her eyebrows furrowed together. "You won't admit that you're wrong so you persist on backing your opinion!"

Ulquiorra kept his eyes forward, making certain he did not bump into any people passing by. "An opinion formed from an evaluation of your shared past and sharp perception of the present."

Orihime sighed. "If you must know, I _do_ think of Hideki as more than a friend _but_ not in a romantic way. Just like Tatsuki, I consider him family and wouldn't have it any other way. Even _if_ we did have such feelings for each other-"

"It would be fruitless since you are betrothed to Lord Aizen," he said, now partially facing her.

Her lips pursed together. "I was going to say something like that before you rudely interrupted me."

"Hearing your voice has become tiresome."

"Then you should have kept your mouth shut!"

"I will apply that suggestion in the future."

She gave up arguing with him and stepped into the flower shop. "Good morning!" Orihime said to the shopkeeper. "I am interested in purchasing some flowers!"

The shopkeeper bowed then weakly smiled at her. "Forgive me, my lady, but I'm afraid that I don't have much of a selection anymore. Many people have come in and out today because of the shonanoka."

"It's alright! Please show me what you have left."

"Right this way!"

Ulquiorra watched the two of them wander into the back and decided that he would wait near the counter. After a few quiet minutes to himself, he heard the sound of a stampede coming toward him and opened his eyes in the nick of time to watch Orihime unload a large bundle of purple irises into his arms.

"Hold onto these, please! I'll be right back!" she said hurriedly before leaving again.

Still alarmed over his personal space being breached, Ulquiorra looked as if he wanted to pluck every flower petal and watch them fall to the floor.

. . .

"Thank you again!"

Orihime waved cheerfully at the fruit vendor before walking over to her escort with her newest purchase. Ulquiorra, still carrying the large bundle of flowers she had bought earlier, did not say a word to her. Judging by the hard look in his eyes, she became a little perplexed over his demeanor and decided she would break the unwelcome tension between them.

"I have everything I need so we can head over to the temple now!"

Orihime waited for a response, but he did not yield to her expectation. She then wondered if he was annoyed with her and decided to leave him be. Experience had taught her that even he had his limits and that he was a person who could not be swayed against his will. She began walking down a scenic road that led to the temple, humming a lively tune while hearing his footsteps trail behind hers.

. . .

Lady Miyako Inoue sat quietly alongside the elders. She observed the new crowd of visitors entering the temple hall to grieve and pay their respects to the deceased. A good amount of them were clearly relatives of the fallen samurai or those who were caught in the crossfire of battle, yet the majority came here to pay tribute to Lord Sora Inoue. Seeing the immeasurable number of people expressing their gratitude for him made her heart swell with pride, but it had not been enough to erase her pain or the remorse she carried.

For as long as she could remember, she had sworn to watch over him. To protect him and stand by his side forever even if it had cost her life. Never once had she reconsidered her oath or regretted the sacrifices she made, for nothing brought her greater happiness than serving her lord.

But she did not uphold her promise. She was not by his side during his darkest hour and had not reached the castle in time to fight for their people or save his life. Instead, she had made her way toward the temple and found his mutilated body being cleaned up and chanted over by the monks. In that moment, she could not accept that the corpse she looked upon had once been the one who meant more to her than anyone in the world. Yet her mind had made certain to keep her grounded and accept the simple harsh truth that resulted from her negligence: She had disappointed her ancestors. She had failed her family…she had failed him.

Fleeting memories of another came to mind, causing the noblewoman to rise to her feet and gracefully walk across the temple into a secondary room where the memorial for the deceased members of the Inoue clan was held. Careful not to interrupt the chants coming from a monk and few of her relatives, Miyako headed toward the row of urns orderly lined in the back of the room then stopped in front of one near the end.

With a frown, her fingers lightly touched the container as she reflected on the person whose ashes were within. "I told you not to get ahead of yourself, but you never listen to me. And now here you are, though I'm quite certain you're happy for a chance to see Mother and Father again…"

"Lady Inoue?"

The noblewoman turned her attention on the young servant behind her. "How may I assist you?"

"Forgive me for intruding, my lady," she said, bowing forward, "but the elders asked me to tell you that Lady Orihime Inoue has arrived in the temple."

Her dark eyes narrowed. "Did she come alone?"

"No, ma'am. There is a man with her who carries two swords and has scars running down his face."

"Tell them that I will handle the matter."

The servant quietly nodded and dismissed herself from the room.

. . .

Ignoring the glares casted at them, Orihime and Ulquiorra headed toward the back of the temple, entirely focused on their objective.

Well…almost entirely.

The red-headed girl had difficulty not getting sidetracked by the whispering around them, especially over the inquisitive speculation of how she managed to escape during the siege to the identity of the samurai by her side and the nature of their affiliation. All the sudden, it felt like the temple walls were closing in and that she needed to be extra mindful of her conduct so that she would not give the wrong impression of her or the General, for that matter.

Determined, Orihime swiftly turned around so that she faced Ulquiorra. "I can take those now!"

Ulquiorra effortlessly handed over the bundle, inwardly relieved that his duty of being flower envoy had ended. He then observed as she began to kneel, say a word of gratitude and a simple prayer before delicately placing an iris on each memorial she came by.

Although this was regarded as cultural custom, Ulquiorra was still perplexed by her generous gesture. Given the account of her childhood, he could not fathom why she would squander her time and money on those who had disregarded her existence or denied her the respect she was entitled to.

However, there had been one aspect he had learned about her in their short time together and that was she lived a life of sacrifice. She defined the very meaning, for it seemed that she embraced this as a way to show an act of devotion or love. Therefore, even though he believed that she was being nonsensical, the ward would not see it as such thus further proving how blind she truly was to the ways of the world.

Lord Aizen had much to teach her when they returned. He then speculated how long it would take for the troublesome girl to stretch his master's patience, but realized that such a feat would be impractical. Lord Aizen seldomly - if ever - displayed his temper even in the most dire of situations.

From the corner of his eye, Ulquiorra caught Orihime staring at him contemplatively as though he were an interesting specimen she had discovered. "What is it?"

Orihime balanced her chin in between her hands. "I figured if I stare at you long enough, then maybe I'd at least get a word out of you. You haven't said anything since we left the flower shop."

"I hardly believe this is the right time, or place, to have an open conversation."

After picking up the remaining flowers, Orihime stood to her feet. "So are you saying that you would talk to me if we were elsewhere right now?"

"Only if I truly desire a headache."

"Why are you so ru-!" she screeched before clasping an empty hand over her mouth. _Remember to mind your manners while we're here, Orihime!_

"I was beginning to wonder when you would arrive."

The pair turned their focus off of each other and toward the now-present Lady Miyako Inoue. As expected from her cousin, the noblewoman carried an aura of regality and a stoic countenance that could intimidate even the bravest of soldiers.

Out of respect for her, Orihime gracefully bowed then rose again. "I would have been here sooner, but I wanted to buy some items for the service."

"You do not have to explain yourself to me. It's not as if you would have been able to change anything had you arrived sooner."

Orihime nodded dejectedly then looked at her cousin with sympathy. "I'm very sorry about Seiichi-dono. I can understand how you feel over losing your brother."

"Seiichi died fighting for the honor of his leader and our clan," Miyako said curtly. "I cannot be upset over that."

"I see."

"However," Miyako shifted her judgmental eyes onto Ulquiorra, "why did you permit for _him_ to come here?"

Orihime took one glimpse at Ulquiorra and then it dawned on her. She had not once thought about how his presence might affect everyone and perhaps she had been insensitive in that regard. And yet…"General Cifer is my escort and has been ordered to stay by my side. I can guarantee that he won't cause any trouble while he's here."

"Doesn't take away the fact that he serves our enemy, or should I say _my_ enemy, since it would seem that his dignity takes precedence over that of your own people."

"It's not like that. I just -"

"Didn't think it through," Miyako chided. "That's to be expected from a person of simpleminded character. I can't believe that Lord Sora chose _you_ to be the one to lead us into our future. And yet, not even a week later, you have already disgraced our lineage with your submission to another daimyo." Her dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Unless this was your way of getting revenge from being shunned by the family all these years."

Fumbling for words, Orihime tightened her fingers around the remaining flowers in her hands. "I-I wouldn't do that…I…I…"

"The allegiance made between Tenkū and Naitsu did not decree for the Inoue to give up their identity nor their way of life," Ulquiorra stated, his emerald eyes stern on the noblewoman. "It was created so the two prefectures could work together in order to build a stronger economy and ruling government."

"Political uproot by the bloodshed of a benevolent leader and half of his administration definitely sounds like the beginning of a peaceful merger," Miyako jeered. "How generous of Naitsu to think it knows what's best for everyone."

"In regards to your initial inquiry," the General ignored her remark and continued, "I did not intend to accompany Lady Inoue into the second room. She is to have the privacy she needs for what she seeks to do. Be assured that my presence will go nowhere near the memorial of Inoue clan, especially Lord Sora Inoue since that is where most of your interest and the root of your jealousy toward Lady Inoue lie."

Orihime looked at him surprised whereas Miyako vehemently held her tongue.

"Proceed forward with your task," Ulquiorra said, his eyes not yielding to meet his hers.

"Y-Yes," Orihime nodded.

She led herself and Ulquiorra away from her cousin to where the memorial for Gorō Ito was held. Miyako did not speak or try to follow after them. Instead, she kept a calm composure as she went back to sit with the elders.

When the pair was in closer proximity of her friend's memorial, Orihime spotted Tatsuki bowing while murmuring a few words. She made her and Ulquiorra wait from a short distance so that her best friend would be able to say what was on her heart in private.

In the meantime, she found herself going back to how Ulquiorra had quickly taken over the confrontation with Miyako. It was not the first time she witnessed the authority he carried when handling people yet his ability to boldly speak his mind - no matter what the situation was – had made her ashamed that she could not do the same for herself.

"Um…" she softly began, "what you did back there-"

"Don't expect it to happen again," Ulquiorra said resolutely.

She was going to give him her thanks, but kept quiet after receiving such a callous remark. She frowned then noticed that Tatsuki had finished paying her respects. She stepped away from him and walked forward until she and her best friend met halfway.

"I was starting to wonder if you got lost!" Tatsuki greeted. "Hideki told me you had some errands?"

Orihime smiled. "Yes, but I already took care of that!"

"That's good."

"Speaking of which, are they here?"

Tatsuki's face turned solemn as she folded her arms in front of her. "No. Their ma wasn't feeling well so they took her on walk to get some fresh air."

"It's because of her heart," Orihime responded sorrowfully. "Emi-dono cherished Gorō-dono so much. I can't imagine how it must feel to lose the one you love."

"Neither can I."

Orihime silently moved forward until she was standing in front of Tenkū's strongest samurai's memorial. She then kneeled and clapped her hands together. "Kami-sama, please watch over Gorō-dono. He was a special friend of mine and I want him to have well-deserved rest in the spirit world. May you please tell him that Little One will watch over his family and make sure they live peacefully? And also, please tell him that she thanks him with all heart for the friendship he gave her along with his unwavering valor and loyalty he had shown for her brother. His honorable soul will never be forgotten as long as I'm here in this world."

Ulquiorra observed Orihime take three irises from the bundle and arrange them next to the samurai's urn. He then questioned why she would leave that many when she left the previous only one. But knowing how sentimental the girl could be, he then wondered if the three were supposed to symbolize the living members of Ito family. Or perhaps they symbolized the lifelong friendship she and her brother had shared with the samurai.

He then wondered why he had concerned himself over this matter yet ceased his train of thought when he saw her enter into the second room where mourning for members of the Inoue clan was held.

. . .

With each step, it felt like a lump was growing in her throat.

The ambience of the dimly lit room, the deep chanting of the monk, and the intoxicating scent of incense had started to cloud her senses.

But she kept her honey-colored eyes ahead on the shrine in tribute to her brother. It had been adorned with several incense sticks and countless of flowers ranging from different varieties and colors. It also had been filled with a multitude of gifts like rice balls and tea cups that were filled with matcha or persimmon tea. At the center of it all displayed an iron-black urn that contained his ashes alongside his freshly polished swords and armor.

Hot tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she kneeled in front of the shrine and faintly smiled. "Hello Brother…I guess I am a bit late to your service," She then happily pulled a cantaloupe from her bag as though she were making a sales pitch. "But I did bring your favorite fruit and more flowers to add to your memorial!"

She laughed heartily then began arranging the melon and irises around the urn. "Just the other day, we had promised each other that we were going to live our lives to fullest. That when we both were old, we wouldn't look back and regret the choices we had made. We even sealed our pact by planning to go to Sendai this fall and attend the Tanabata festival together, since it was something we have never done before. We also had never got the chance to visit the southern islands or travel to the coastal cities and try the many foreign cuisines that were brought there. However," She looked up from the urn and gazed upon the shrine, "sitting here and realizing how you changed so many people's lives, well, I don't think any of that really matters."

Her face turned somber as her hands clenched in her lap. "Had I known you intended to pass this onto me, I would have paid more attention to what you were teaching me or had improved myself in other areas. I'm not equipped to be a daimyo and everyone knows this…yet I want to believe that I can change.

"You might already know, but I'm going to marry Sōsuke Aizen of Naitsu. Not because I love him, but because I love you. With my marriage to him, I can keep what you dedicated your life for. And maybe with the experience he has I can learn how to become a suitable leader…one that will make you proud. So..."

Several heavy tears fell onto her lap and hands. "Thank you for the knowledge you imparted on me…thank you for not abandoning me after I was born…thank you for loving me even when I knew how difficult and painful it was for you to do so. I can't imagine how my life would have turned out without you.

"Not one day will pass where I don't think of you. And if you do move on to your next life before I can see you again…please find happiness there and remember, if you can, that I love you. I love you with all my heart...even though right now it's not very whole…you'll always be a part of me…"

She broke into a wrenching sob as her hands reached out and delicately touched Sora's urn. In that moment she had wished more than anything that she had felt one of his strong, signature hugs one last time.

. . .

Although she stood from a distance, Tatsuki kept a watchful eye on Ulquiorra as the two waited for her best friend to return. She refused to let the man go unsupervised and pretty soon her imagination had drifted into a scenario where she had him in a chokehold then proceeded to throw him out of the temple in a way that his rear-end landed on the stone-paved staircase. And break a bone or two.

As much satisfaction that would bring her, she realized most of her anger was not in fact at the General but at the Inoue.

In the last two days, since they arrived at the capital, Tatsuki had once again been a witness to the prejudice shown toward her friend. A small part of her had hoped before they came here that the Inoue would be gracious to Orihime, given that she had lost her only family and was now the head of their clan. But now she resented placing even a miniscule of faith in them. Their narrow-minded disdain for her best friend irked her to no end and she had been pushed to the point where she was ready to knock some people to the ground no matter what their age or title was.

"All of you can go to hell," she said heatedly, not caring how audible it was to those around her.

Ulquiorra gave her a reproachful look. "We are inside a temple."

"Shut up! Don't you think I know that?" Tatsuki snapped.

The sliding of a door reached their ears, causing them both to turn around and see a somber Orihime exit the room. She wiped her eyes, which were red-rimmed from crying, with the back of hand.

Tatsuki immediately ran over to her friend and took both of her hands in hers. "I'm so sorry, Orihime…If there is anything I can do to make this easier for you, please tell me."

Orihime weakly smiled then squeezed Tatsuki's hands. "Thank you, Tatsuki, but having you here is more than enough."

She then searched past her friend to find Ulquiorra, who was watching her intently. In that moment, it had felt like more than their eyes had connected and she was uncertain to why she thought that.

"What do you want to do now?" Tatsuki asked.

Orihime snapped out her daze. "I…well, we can start heading over to the castle since there is one more thing I have to do there."

Tatsuki nodded. "Alright then, let's go!" She then flashed a mischievous grin at Ulquiorra. "See if you can try to keep up with us, you jerk!"

Before he had a chance to speak, Tatsuki had led Orihime by the hand and sprinted toward the entrance of the temple. Orihime struggled to keep up in spite of the restrictions her kimono imposed.

"What a nuisance," Ulquiorra stated.

He then took one sharp glance at the Inoue elders and Miyako and observed that they were glaring at him as though he were an evil spirit in need of cleansing. He nonchalantly placed his hands in his pockets then followed after his ward and her annoying friend before they could disappear from his sight.

. . .

Inside the castle, the girls passed through every room and corridor tossing salt. Early on they had decided to divide the task with each of them taking a different floor then reconvene later in the courtyard.

Orihime, of course, had expected Ulquiorra to keep an eye on her and managed to assure Tatsuki that he would not 'kidnap' her before she had the chance to see her off. Ulquiorra, on the other hand, did not recognize the value of her peacemaking skills and decided to be vexed for the time being.

"I am more than capable of handling your friend," he said, very composed while leaning against a wall.

Orihime paused from shaking salt onto a doorway and pouted at her guardian. "Really? I can't believe you're still mad over that!"

"I am not mad. I am simply reminding you that I don't need you to handle any qualm that may arise against me."

She agreed with him, but that still did not stop her from releasing an exasperated sigh. "Don't you think I know that? Anyway, I did it more for Tatsuki since she is already unhappy that I am leaving."

"She had already been forewarned that you would not be staying."

"I know…but that still doesn't make it easier saying goodbye to someone you care about."

Ulquiorra contemplated over her words. "...Perhaps."

Orihime quietly studied him a bit longer before resuming to her task.

. . .

The pair ended up finishing before Tatsuki and were now waiting in the courtyard. To keep herself busy, Orihime had found a long tree-branch near the bench she sat on and began writing calligraphy in the ground.

"You know..." She said softly, still focused on her writing. "I noticed that some of the chambers were being aired out today."

Ulquiorra had his eyes closed as if he were meditating. "I made certain that the commander and his unit set aside time to begin restoration of the castle. In that order also included finding another location to establish their base."

Orihime gently smiled. "Thank you."

While she was content that her request had been implemented, the carnage she had witnessed that night was still entrenched in her mind. Because of everything she had seen, there were certain areas she was unsure that she would be able to step foot in again.

"I see that you're still here, General," said a sultry voice from a distance.

Orihime spotted its owner, accompanied by two ashigaru, approaching her and Ulquiorra. She then pondered why the pink-haired samurai seemed familiar to her.

Ulquiorra stepped forward so that he now stood off to the side in front of Orihime. "We are leaving as soon as her friend arrives."

"I see," He pushed his spectacles up to align on his nose. "I'm certain that Lord Aizen will be happy to have his lovely bride back in his care."

_I'm certain that our lord will be very grateful to you. She's quite a beautiful creature._

Orihime abruptly stood to her feet. "Now I know why you're familiar! You were here with General Cifer during the siege."

Fascinated, his smirk broadened as his amber eyes flickered at her. "I'm surprise you even remember me, considering you fainted not too long after. We have yet to be formally introduced." He bowed toward her. "I am Szayelaporro Granz, the commanding general of this region under the authority of Lord Sōsuke Aizen. And soon to be under you as well, my lady, once you two are wedded."

Orihime solemnly nodded. "Yes. Since Tenkū and Naitsu are allying together, I believe it would be best if you partnered with someone who would delegate over the interests of Tenkū while I'm not here."

"Oh?" Szayelaporro dropped his smirk and raised an eyebrow. "And who have you appointed for this position?"

Orihime blanked. She had no idea why she even opened her mouth especially when she had not premeditated this conversation. However...

_This person would have to be someone strong-willed and have the influence of a good leader. Someone who has history and knowledge of how our economy and chain of command works. Someone who would devote their heart into the people of Tenkū and the restoration of the Inoue clan. _"That person is Lady Miyako Inoue."

Ulquiorra stared at her from the corner of his eye.

Orihime stayed firm. "She was a part of Lord Sora Inoue's administration and was highly esteemed by him and our people. I do ask that you give her a week to process all that has happened before meeting and discussing future plans."

Szayelaporro's smile returned as he tilted his chin into his hand. "Well, it can certainly be arranged." He then stared at Ulquiorra. "You don't see that being a problem, right, General?"

Ulquiorra briefly remained silent. "No, I do not."

"Excellent! Well, I better get going on my way!" he exclaimed before bowing once more at Orihime. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady." He smirked mischievously at them. "I hope you both have a _pleasant_ trip back to Naitsu."

Orihime and Ulquiorra watched the spectacled samurai then leave with his two escorts.

"I don't know why, but I get a weird vibe around him," Orihime said, puzzled.

"You're not the first to acknowledge that," Ulquiorra replied straightforward.

"Hey!" Tatsuki yelled out as she ran up to Orihime. "Sorry I took so long!"

Orihime shook her head and smiled. "It's fine, even though I was starting to wonder if you got lost!"

"You're funny," Tatsuki said dryly which made Orihime giggle. "Anyway, you won't believe what I found lying around!" She reached into her knapsack and uncovered a mud-stained puppet with one damaged leg and a missing arm.

The red-head's eyes widened from excitement as she carefully took it from Tatsuki.

"I found him lying near one of the gates. I bet one of the soldiers intended to take it for their kid or something."

Orihime studied the puppet as though it was her first time laying eyes on it. Although it was tattered and broken in some places, its core had remained resilient and intact. And she knew that with given time and care, those parts could be fixed again even if it had to be done by her own hands.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, she brought Enraku closer to her heart. "Thank you, Tatsuki."

. . .

Prior to sundown, Orihime and Ulquiorra had decided it was time for them to return to Naitsu.

"It's not fair! Why can't you stay here with us?" an annoyed Yuji complained

Orihime, who had changed back into the simple clothes Tatsuki had loaned her, gently clasped the young boy's shoulders and gave him a sincere smile. "Because there is someone waiting for me in Naitsu and in order for all of us to have a wonderful future, I must go and be with him."

Yuji pouted. "But…I don't want you to go."

Hideki pressed a hand on top of his little brother's head. "Hey, Yuji, don't make this harder for her. She would stay if she had the choice."

Orihime watched the boy sadly nod in agreement. "Thank you for understanding, Yuji." She then leaned over and embraced him. "Please take care of your mama and brother for me."

Yuji sniffled. "I will..."

Orihime released him and turned her focus onto his elder brother. "There is something I would like you to do for me." She frantically shook her hands in front of her. "Of course, it doesn't have to be right at this second since you should be here with your family and I don't want to inconvenience you or them in any way! I would've asked Tatsuki, but she had already agreed to deliver a message to Miyako-dono for me."

Hideki suspiciously glanced at Tatsuki to see her form a wicked smirk behind their friend. "I'm sure she was _quite_ thrilled to take on that task. But you know, Hime, you can ask me for anything and I'll do it. You could never be an inconvenience to me."

"Okay!" She smiled then revealed a parcel tied together by thread. "I need this to be taken to Edo and delivered to the Tairō of the Yamamoto Shogunate. It's very important that this is received by _his_ hands."

Sensing the emphasis in her tone, Hideki nodded and took the bag from her. "I understand."

"Also," She gave him a warm smile, "I was reminiscing the other night over our childhood together and I didn't realize until then how important your friendship is to me. You definitely brought more light into my life and for that, I thank you!"

Hideki took a minute to process what she said before releasing a heartfelt chuckle. "You don't have to thank me. I'm truly glad that I was able to meet you." His paused as he poked her forehead, voice deepening. "We will always be connected, so don't think that this is the end. We'll see each other again, even if it's not as often like it used to be."

Orihime blissfully nodded. "Yes, we will!"

And then, the instant she turned around to face Tatsuki, all the memories they shared together flooded over her like a wave. In that moment, it felt like a hole was forming in her chest as her eyes welled up with tears. "I don't know what to say…I mean, where do I even begin?"

"You could start by telling me you want to stage an all-out rebellion rather than marry that old fart," Tatsuki smirked.

Orihime laughed and wiped her right eye. "Can you imagine? Though I don't think we would get very far without an army of samurai."

"We would manage."

"Heh, I'm not too sure about that."

Tatsuki shrugged. "Maybe you're right. But, I would have done whatever it took to keep you free."

The sound of horse galloping became louder as it drew nearer to where the group of friends were.

The General stepped down from his horse and walked over to her. "Have you said all your good-byes?"

"I just need to finish what I was saying to Tatsuki and then I'll be ready!" Orihime said as she lifted the knapsack off her shoulder.

He voluntarily took it from her. "Do not take much longer."

As he walked back to his horse, Orihime smiled at Tatsuki and took her hands in her own. "There is so much I want to thank you for. Without you, I wouldn't have learned how to accept myself for who I was. I had resigned to walk alone for the rest of my life, but you saved me from the loneliness I felt for so many years." She took her friend into a tight embrace. "You are my best friend and always will be. I love you, Tatsuki, and I promise that I will protect you and your family just as you had protected me."

Tatsuki finally tightened her arms around Orihime and suppressed her tears. "Idiot, what are you saying? I'm always going to look after you. Just…be sure to take care of yourself, okay? You can always come home if you need to."

After Orihime acknowledged her with a nod, the two friends released their embrace on each other.

"I'll see you."

"See you later."

Orihime then sprinted over to where her escort and his horse waited. Once she was there, she looked back one last time and bowed to her friends. "Everyone, thank you for all you've done for me!"

She quickly turned around and allowed Ulquiorra to assist her onto the horse. He then settled in behind her and took hold of the reins. "Arre arre."

As she felt the horse advance away from the capital, Orihime forced her eyes to stay ahead on the field. However, before they reached the border crossing into the woods, she took one look back and gazed upon the city that had now been painted in the sunset.

The city she had spent all seventeen years of her life in.

The city where her fondest memories had dwelled.

The city she could no longer call her home.

Suddenly the hole in her chest felt larger than it did before and it was becoming harder to hold back her tears.

"You do not have to feign your feelings any further."

And like a dam breaking open, Orihime's tears began flooding down her cheeks. Her fingers clung onto her legs as her shoulders heaved with every wail that escaped her.

Ulquiorra kept his focus on what lie ahead, but he had also been oblivious to the fact that he had faintly tightened his arms around her and sustained his hold for the rest of their journey.

* * *

><p><span><strong>End of Arc One<strong>

* * *

><p><span><strong>Glossary<strong>:

**Haneri – **A decorative cloth that is meant to protect and be worn over the collar of undergarment (known as _juban_) clothing.

**Mofuku – **A formal woman's kimono that is only to be worn for funerals and times of mourning. The kimono and the parts that accompany it are completely black. However, the tabi and all undergarments must be white.

**Kamon** – A crest that is either dyed or embroidered on a formal kimono to symbolize a family or clan. The number of crests can range from one to five, depending on the formality of the kimono.

**(Kuro-) Montsuki** – A formal men's ensemble consisting of kimono with kamon, hakama and a haori with kamon. This was considered semi-formal attire for the samurai class during the Edo period and could be worn for weddings, funerals and other ceremonious occasions. Kuro means 'black', therefore kuro-montsuki would be the equivalent of a mofuku.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Just Some Commentary<strong>:

There were plenty of cultural and religious references in these past chapters and I will be the first one to tell you that I probably won't have everything accurate. I'll go to the ends of the world (wide web) or a library bookcase for research on a subject, but that does not mean my efforts make me foolproof from making an error. That being said, I do hope that I was able to represent what I learned in the best of light and that I haven't made offense with what was written.

For some of you that might be wondering why I didn't mention the bone-picking ceremony, it's because Orihime had not been there during the cremation. She had arrived days after.


End file.
